perhaps this "guide" will help someone win a battle with a fraudelent customer.
I had a customer who had bought a product worth £169.99 on the 13/01. On the 17/1 customer messages me "Hi, I didn’t receive my package, and I would like a refund".
that triggers early "scammer alert".
sent by tracked 48 - indicates delivered, there is gps location and a photo. I know its not enough for Amazon and I am aboutto lose moment she opens A-Z.
So we are having polite back and forth. She says she lives with her husband, no one else lives there. Nothing arrives, wants me to contact "please contact Royal Mail the driver who delivered it". I do call RM, they say it looks good on their end, but they'rer willing to open the investigation (circa 30 days, so I lose).
I am asking her to ask a neighbour.
"I asked, and they don't know anything
I'm very disappointed because that belt was my father's gift, and I couldn't give him anything!"
Ok so now I know it's a scam for sure. She goes on "I'm very disappointed with Royal Mail, it's the first time something like this has happened to me, and I regularly order from Amazon ... and I don't think I'll do it again"
So now I analyse the delivery photo. I am asking her to check with the photo of delivery. She says "In the area where I live, all the neighbors have the same door as mine!
How would I know if it's my door or not?!
And I don't have a mat in front of the door"
But that turns out to be not true. There are about 6 different door at her street. Her is unique which is visible on the photo - and no, its not the mat :) There is pipe, cable box and square cut out in the tile visible on the photo. Her door is different than her neighbours and photo from streetview matches the photo found on google maps.
she says "Yes, the pictures on google maps indicate that it is my house... but not the package"
Ok so now we know that this was delivered to her house, she lives with her husband only and the package was not there.
Its a third day - so I am sending tracked 24 parcel with a letter stating that this is to gather further evidence. This will let me compare photo and the dps coordinates.
Once I see that matches, I am sending blunt message
"If it was delivered to your home and the photo shows how it was inserted into your mailbox, mailbox of your door that is unique unlike any other, and gps cooridnates indicate exactly your home, than it means it was delivered.
If that was accessed by someone in your household, that unfortunately it is beyond my responsibility as I have delivered it to the address provided. there were no other arrangements in place.
I am afraid you will have to discuss it with your husband, so hopefully your father will get his birthday gift and will forgive you for getting nothing.
I can not take responsibility for whatever happens to your order after it was delivered.
As I said previously, as I have fullfilled my responsibility as a seller and have delivered your order to the address provided, the ongoing dispute will have to be held in small claims court. I am right now gathering additional evidence and I am waiting for the result of the Royal Mail investigation, however, once the money is removed from my account, I will be sending you the "Letter before action" with all the details regarding case in the small claims court.
I hope you understand
Kind regards"
And that does it (So far - she's still got plenty of time to open A-Z) for now.
I think I was "lucky" that she did not open A-Z right away and I had a chance to send second parcel with a letter for comparison.
We all know that Amazon enables scammers on so many levels - so I hope the above adds a tool to youro toolbox in a fight against them.
