14 DAY TRIAL // Amazon mistakenly delivered an exercise machine tipping the scales at no less than 29 kilos to a 79-year-old man from Bristol, and the company refused to take it back after leaving the box in front of the house.
Pensioner Tony Harding says he actually ordered a 20kg bag of reconstituted logs back in January, but instead was shipped this 29kg box that contains an exercise machine.
When the driver arrived with the box, he asked him to check if anyone else in the neighborhood ordered an exercise machine, only to be told he must reach out to Amazon because someone else is in charge of returns.
“When I pointed out that the package contained a Nero Sports fitness bicycle, the delivery driver suggested that my logs might have been packed inside the box. I was flabbergasted by this suggestion, by which time the delivery man was halfway down the path.
When I came to my senses I suggested to him that he should take the package back, or at least check that someone else in the Bristol area was due to receive a fitness bike. After checking his notes I was told he could not take the item back since he only did deliveries,” Harding told The Guardian.
Free exercise bike
Funny enough, the man indeed contacted Amazon, asking for his 20kg bag of logs to be shipped. Amazon staff agreed to send the correct package, but again refused to take back the exercise machine.
“I was also told that if no one came to collect the fitness bike within 48 hours, I should feel free to dispose of it as I thought fit. That would be OK if had any use for an exercise bike, but I don’t,” Hardin explains.
Amazon only agreed to send someone to pick up the large box after the story made the news, with the company now saying that it also investigated the incident “with the delivery partner,” taking appropriate action. No further details on this were provided though.
Such mistakes made by Amazon aren't necessarily new. On Black Friday, Amazon sent the wrong products to a bunch of customers, with some saying they received condoms, dog food, or washing up liquid instead of Nintendo gaming consoles.