How Do I Force Amazon To Deal Properly With A Complaint?

[AndiFlatland]

I am getting extremely angry with Amazon, who are not enabling me to resolve a complaint about the treatment I've had from one of their marketplace sellers. The seller seems to think that they are above the law on describing items for sale via Amazon truthfully.

The argument has now been going on since the end of July. I ordered three hand towels on 20th July, at the price shown on the page, £9.84. When the parcel arrived a few days later, there was only one towel enclosed. I immediately contacted the seller, who sent me a curt response saying 'Sorry about that. The order was for one towel only'. I replied with an angry message, pointing out that in the picture on Amazon's page, it appeared as a bundle of three towels, not one. Nowhere on the page did it say anything about it being for only one towel, and I demanded that they send me the missing two towels. After getting nowhere with more messages, to which the response was the same generic cut-and-paste nonsense each time, I finally tried contacting Amazon's customer service - which was not in itself easy. I finally managed to find a number by asking on Google.

I spoke to a person in one of their far-flung call centres, who seemed to understand, and told me he would get it sorted out for me, by making a complaint directly to the seller. But a couple of days later, I just got another e-mail from the seller, with the same casually repeated message. Once again, I called customer service, and spoke to a very helpful young woman, who again understood the problem, and promised to get it resolved. And the result of that? Once more, the same couldn't-give-a-damn response from the seller, who just told me this time to send it back for a refund - no offer to even pay for the return postage.

Again, about a week ago, I decided to have another go at sorting out the problem by getting the seller to send me the two missing towels. I spent about half an hour on the phone to another far away young lady from Amazon (she was in Jamaica), who again promised to resolve the problem to my satisfaction... but yet again, I just got another curt response from the seller, again telling me to send it back for a refund.

This is not what I want. There are good reasons why I wanted these three towels specifically, as they were offered as small prizes in a competition back before the Covid lockdown, and I refuse to go back on my word with the three winners.

I have now left a VERY angry review on Amazon, which I was assured the seller would see - and yet, so far, not a word in response. If anybody wants to read that message, you will find it here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1E4DKVQCA70Q8/ref=pe_1572281_66412651_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I am at the end of my tether with this relatively small matter, and I have mentioned it to my lawyer, who is considering what more he can do - but isn't hopeful that he has any better advice to offer.

So what else can I do? Surely Amazon are bound by law to ensure that their sellers list their products on the site truthfully, and not only not lead buyers into a blatant con, but when complaints are received, to deal with those complaints fairly and without argument, when the seller is clearly at fault. Had I realised at the start that in order to get the three items I believed I would be getting, I would end up having to stump up three times the advertised price, I simply would not have bothered. I am not the only person to have made this complaint - others have been similarly fobbed off with the same nonsense. I seem to be the only one who is actively trying to get it sorted out to my satsifaction. Some don't even seem to have noticed that their orders were two-thirds short.

I appreciate it's no huge deal - but that's not the point. You don't advertise that the offer is for three, and then only send one - and argue forever that it's only one. Simple as that.

[THECORBYLOON]

Why have you not returnt the towel and asked for a refund?

[Deskdiary]

I read the listing and, like Tora, it seems clear to me.

A&R Towels [the company] Print-Me Hand Towel [singular], Lime Green, One Size.

Your lawyer (did you really speak to a lawyer? really? over a tenner?) should be telling you to forget it.

[brainiac]

I think you should put it down to experience. Simple as that.

[THECORBYLOON]

Have you sent a towel out to each of the three prize winners or will they need to consider legal action against you?

[sherrardk]

I’m curious as to who thinks a lime green hand towel is a good competition prize.

[Peter Pedant]

amazon bait and change
and you didnt send the one back
coz you wanted another two....

access the card? that was the only way I cd do it BUT it is all a bit late

I have to say - -- I got a La Peste cheap - Cammoo - and when it turned up - it was in Italian ! Call it La piaga for chrissakes
anyway I sent it right back stat -o and got a refund

I think you are screwed

[Peter Pedant]

cut the one towel into three?
and call it the wisdom of solomon?