Leah Davidson returns her iPhone 11 to a third-party seller on Amazon. But the seller claims the box is empty. Does she still get her money back?
Question
I recently bought an iPhone 11 through a third-party seller on Amazon. I returned the phone via UPS, and I have a receipt that verifies the package was delivered.
The seller claims it received an empty box. I’ve shown the seller my receipt, which says there was a phone in the box. The third-party seller keeps asking Amazon to intervene. But Amazon says they are unable to take further action, so my request keeps getting tossed back and forth.
Can you help me get my $319 back? — Leah Davidson, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Answer
Amazon should have refunded your $319, even if you were dealing with a third-party seller. How do I know that? It says it right here, in Amazon’s A-to-z guarantee.
Specifically, Amazon says you can get a refund if your returned item, sent with a label provided by the seller, is lost. I’m surprised Amazon didn’t immediately take responsibility for your iPhone. (Related: Amazon order problem: Where’s my nightstand?)
Instead, it looks like the seller ultimately didn’t accept your return when it received your box, claiming the package was empty. But you had written evidence from UPS showing it weighed over a half pound when it was delivered. As I understand it, the correct procedure would be for the seller to file a claim with UPS rather than to recharge you.
This is a strange case, and here’s why
Your case is a little unusual. A few months after your attempted return, Amazon says your credit card covered the loss — except the card paid the third party, not you. I didn’t even know a card could do that, and I’m going to have to look into that maneuver. It’s new to me.
So the reseller was made whole, but you were still out $319. It looks like Amazon’s records showed that it had already refunded you and didn’t recharge you for the phone. But your bank says Amazon recharged you, so it was a matter of connecting your credit card with Amazon and the third party to clear up the issue. (Related: Has Amazon lost my return package? And where’s my $756?)
A brief, polite email to one of Amazon’s executive contacts should have fixed this. But alas, it did not. Amazon kept bouncing you to a lower level of customer support. It looks like the representatives you dealt with didn’t have a clear understanding of your problem or how to fix it. (Related: Can you help me restore the 654 product reviews Amazon has deleted?)
Like other big companies, Amazon relies on artificial intelligence to handle some of its customer service functions. As I reviewed your case, it seems AI might have handled — or maybe it’s more accurate to say, mishandled — your refund issue. (Related: My Amazon package never arrived. Now they’re hiding behind a freight forwarder.)
How to tell if you’re dealing with a customer service AI
If you’ve ever felt like you’re talking to a machine when you’re trying to get help on Amazon — well, you might be. Here are a few telltale signs you’re talking to a machine:
- Lightning-fast responses. If answers come back in seconds, it’s probably AI.
- Perfect grammar. Humans make typos. An AI usually doesn’t.
- Lack of empathy. AI might miss emotional cues in your messages. (Related: What can I do about the missing mobility scooter I ordered from Amazon?)
- Scripted and repetitive language. AI tends to use similar phrases over and over. (“Customer service is our number one priority” or “Thank you for shopping with Amazon!”)
- Can’t go off-script. If it struggles with unusual questions, you’re likely chatting with AI.
What should you do if you’re dealing with an AI at Amazon?
You can try to smoke out an AI by using slang or idioms. Or you can ask for a name. AIs don’t always use real names.
But the best way is to simply ask, “Are you an AI or a human?” Amazon’s policy is to be honest about this. (Here’s our guide to Amazon returns.)
If the answer is “yes” then you should ask to speak with a human (if you prefer). Dealing with an AI isn’t always bad. It can handle simple issues quickly. But for complex problems, you might want a human touch.
But how about your returned iPhone case?
It’s always helpful to have a set of human eyes on a tricky refund case like this, so I hope Amazon can fine-tune its processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
No question about it, this case needed a person who could look at all of your correspondence with Amazon at every level and with the third-party seller. So I contacted Amazon on your behalf.
Amazon reviewed your case and gave you a full refund but did not explain what went wrong. Perhaps they outsourced the explanation to an AI.
