Guess What Happens When Amazon Keeps Sending Shampoo In Same Box With Book
Reader Len recently found out that it's sort of impossible to order shampoo and a book from Amazon at the same time. They'll just keep sending you a shampoo-covered book until they eventually give up and refund your money. Trouble is, Len didn't want a refund. He wanted a shampoo-less book.
Len says:
Just wanted to send along the story of my most recent experience with Amazon.com. I've usually been very happy ordering from them – fast shipping, competitive prices, and good customer service – it's the reason I pay for an Amazon Prime membership. But this last episode has me scratching my head.
Last Wednesday I order two items from Amazon: a bottle of shampoo, and a book. I got the package on Friday, opened it up, and the shampoo had opened up during shipping. While I could've just rinsed off the bottle and used it, the book was also covered in the sticky stuff. OK. I get it. It happens. I call their customer service number, and the rep I spoke with was super apologetic and told me that they would overnight a new shipment to me right away, and he said that he "put a note in there" that they should pack it extra carefully so that this mess doesn't happen again.
Cool. Kudos to Amazon. They could've blamed it on the shipping company, but instead they did the right thing. I was happy.
I forgot about it until Monday when I got home and the package was waiting for me. I opened it up, and whadya know, same old goopy mess. Open bottle, book covered in shampoo. Now I'm a little annoyed.
I called back, and this time I spoke with [redacted], who couldn't have been sweeter and more apologetic. She told me that they'd re-send it in two separate packages so that it wouldn't happen again, and that I wouldn't even have to return this order, it was mine to keep.
Alright. They messed up twice, but they're clearly taking steps to fix it. Game on.
Then, today, I got a follow-up e-mail from [redacted], who apparently forgot about our phone conversation. Here's an excerpt:
"I'm sorry to hear the replacement book and Health and Beauty had the same problem as your first order. This usually doesn't happen. Since it's likely another replacement would arrive damaged, I won't trouble you with another order.
Please return the book "[redacted]" We'll pay for the return shipping costs."
Um…what? Then, much to my surprise, I immediately got another e-mail that my money had been refunded. What the…? I didn't ask for my money back, nor do I want it – I just wanted the products I ordered. I don't get it. They're not sending it to me because "it's likely another replacement would arrive damaged?" Why not just send it in two packages, as originally promised?
Urgh.
I ended up buying some shampoo at the store today – which I probably should've done in the first place, but I was trying to avoid a trip to the store by ordering it online. Lesson learned.
Anyhow, I'm not "taking my business elsewhere" (other than for shampoo, I guess) or anything like that. Truth is, I'm still drawn to Amazon for the convenience and time-saving aspect of it. I'm willing to pay a bit more to get all my stuff in one place, delivered fast. Hopefully this kind of thing won't happen again.
You know, Drugstore.com shrink-wraps their shampoo before they ship it. Just sayin'.
(Photo:stirwise)
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Comments:
I'd give it just oneeee more try... Who knows? third times a charm.
Maybe it's just me, but I'm missing the logic of ordering one (just one!) bottle of shampoo online instead of going to the grocery store to get it. You couldn't lump it in with the rest of your grocery shopping?
Speaking of which...
What was that site again that had "medicine for dummies" kind of a layout?
The
"Help, I have a headache"
"Help, I have a fever"
"Help, I got unexpected action last night"
kind of stuff?
They also had tees where you could get your own messages...
Perhaps the shampoo was an add-on to get to a shipping minimum? (I don't know the details of the Prime program [given its cost])
Was it a dirty book?
When I've ordered shampoo online before, they use packing tape to secure the top of the bottle so that it doesn't come up during shipping. So far I haven't had a problem with this method... maybe Amazon should try it. (Funny enough, I order the shampoo through one of their vendors.)
Don't the instructions on the shampoo bottles read "Insert shampoo into box, lather up the book, rinse, REPEAT"? Maybe that's what Amazon was doing?
If they had shipped in it separate boxes, it probably would have gone on consumerist as a "member of the stupid shipping gang".
I've noticed - if you have issues twice with the same order, the automated system will send you that, "If we did it again, it'd still be screwed up" e-mail.
As near as I can tell, Amazon policy is "reship once, if there's still a problem, refund it and look into the problem."
Since their reships tend to be overnight shipments, it probably saves them a ton in the long run when this sort of thing happens.
I think there are just some things that we are meant to go and purchase at a b&m store. Online works for so much, but it doesn't work for everything.
@pecan 3.14159265:
The store I get my groceries at doesn't sell a lot of non foodstuff items. If I want shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, deodorant, etc. I have to go to a different store to get it.
I have always followed the rules about blaming the OP, but seriously.....buying shampoo over the internet? That better be some seriously special shampoo.
Next time, why not just place two single-item orders: one for the shampoo (or other potentially-leaky stuff), and another for the book? That should result in them shipping in separate boxes, and since Prime will mean free two-day shipping either way it's not like it's saving you money to combine them.
If the shampoo leaks anyway you'll still need to rinse off the bottle, but at least it won't be all over your books.
@AirIntake: Buying stuff like that from Amazon is the best. If you pay for Prime (I do), it's free delivery. I know what shampoo, razors, toilet rolls, dishwash detergent, etc I want. 10 seconds on amazon, and 2 days later it arrives.
Yesterday I broke a cup - I couldn't find the superglue. Click, click, it'll be here tomorrow (or Monday). It beats me how Amazon make money posting me a $2.50 tube of superglue, with no charge for P&P, but I guess that's not my problem.
(In addition, I subscribe and save on a lot of these things, which gets me an extra 15% off, and then I use an Amazon credit card, which gets me a 3% refund, and I do it through my kids' school website, which gives them a couple of points too.)
@pecan 3.14159265: Probably because amazon does a free shipping thing for orders over 25. I bet it was to push it over that edge.
@Alex Chasick: ooo Thanks!!
Somehow googling didnt help. Too many matches.
I'm thinking of getting a "Help, I have a preexisting condition" one.
Yeah, @ChristopherDavis: Yeah, I don't understand the logic of ordering the to together. He's got a Prime membership, so shipping is free with no minimum order.
Could have been worse. It could have been real poo.
I'm not sure what he's upset about. He's all set to read in the shower.
@alyssariffic: The post states he has Amazon Prime -- 2nd day shipping standard with no minimum order cost.
@jeremymiles: If I didn't get out of the house to buy that shit at Wal-mart, I'd lose 90% of the reasons to get out of the house. The day I build a golf course inside my house is the day I never leave.
I had a similar issue with Target online, which is actually fulfilled by Amazon. My wife and I put a marble mortar and pestle that's only available on Target online on our wedding registry, which someone had sent to us, only to find the pestle snapped in half. Target had another one sent, which was also snapped in half. They were great about getting us credit for the item, but what we really wanted was for them to ship it right in the first place, which they apparently were unwilling/unable to do. Very frustrating.
interesting that they shipped the replacment overnight. it seems to me the fast shipping caused the problem in the first place. overnight or second day means it's sent by air, which means a non pressurized cargo area which causes the shampoo to expand. this is why a lot of places that ship dangerous, smelly or caustic liquids ONLY ship them via ground.
if they send you the same package by ground shipping, you'd likely get it intact with no leaks.
@AirIntake: I buy lots of bathroom stuff online. With free shipping and cashback deals on the credit card, it's considerably cheaper than buying it in stores. Though I do generally stock up on more than one bottle at a time.
@catnapped: I think it would have helped, because usually only flat items are shrinkwrapped together.
I've ordered shampoo (by the quart!) with other stuff and it's been fine even though my packages usually arrive mangled. It's actually kind of hard to get into the shampoo because they tape over the lid, then around it. I had just assumed that was SOP at Amazon.
I've liked Alice.com so far for my non-food housewares purchases. I, too, shop at a grocery store that doesn't necessarily carry all the household products I need, plus I hate having to remember "hey, we're out of band-aids and and toothpaste" while otherwise thinking about meals and menus. They tape down the lids of liquid products, and package especially leak-prone items in ziplocks, which also means if you make the right order, you get free ziplocks (repurposable, as opposed to shrink wrap). They don't sell books, so it's not 1-stop shopping in that regard. But they do have some nice tools, free shipping, good CS, and it saves you a trip out to the store for the piddly little stuff.
@jdmba: I had completely missed that he was a Prime user.
In that case, this makes no damn sense. Get a refund, resubmit the order as two separate orders a couple of hours apart, and call it a day. Amazon would never combine two separate orders -- that would be too much like reducing packaging.
@jamesmusik: Don't you think you dodged a bullet, though? If a marble pestle can't survive the mail, how well is it actually going to hold up to use?
@ChristopherDavis: I think that's what they were implying the OP should do. They gave him his money back, so why not place two orders and be done with it?
Seriously, this redacted shit has got to stop. It's starting to get annoying.
@Colonel Jack O'Neill: Why does it annoy you so much? It's to protect privacy, even if it seems trivial.
"I was trying to avoid a trip to the store by ordering it online"
Seriously? I'm glad the guy is apparently showering more often than he goes to the store ... but who the hell goes to the grocery store less than once a shampoo bottle?
Story smells fishy to me.
@ChristopherDavis: Thank you for stating the obvious hindsight advice, since it's possible a couple readers might not have figured this out after reading the article.
@twophrasebark: Probably was after a trip through the postal system covered in shampoo! Sadly, that isn't the kind of dirty book most people order.
I can only imagine the condition in which the book arrived, having been bouncing around in the back of a truck covered in material-attracting, viscous shampoo. Eww.
@shibblegritz: Um... there are a lot of different type of shampoo that Amazon has that one of my local stores have. Personally, I've never bought shampoo from Amazon, but I think I will now, just because. Besides, with my Prime membership, why the hell not? I've EASILY cost Amazon more money in the last 6 months than my prime membership cost.
I think Amazon was suggesting he stop reading dirty books.
@pecan 3.14159265:
My wife uses annoyingly expensive special shampoo for colored hair, and has to shop around for it. (Some) grocery stores will have it in small bottles, but it's a lot cheaper to get it in bulk. Like $18 for 16oz, vs. $40 for 64oz. She usually buys it in large bottles from a beauty-supply store. But I know she's gotten it online in the past when she's seen a deal. I'm not sure how it was shipped.
I've had items shrinkwrapped onto a piece of cardboard from them...not sure if that would've worked in this case