Watchdog talks about Amazon closing accounts

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Hey HarryT,
Since you are in the UK can you answer me a question.
Is there a law that says people have to buy stuff at Amazon?

Of course not . The reason I buy so much from them is that they have such a good range, good service, and next-day delivery.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Of course not . The reason I buy so much from them is that they have such a good range, good service, and next-day delivery.

Thank you. With some of what's been said I was starting to wonder. It was sounding like Amazon was the ONLY place to shop.
So in other words, people in the UK that don't like Amazon's policies are not bound by law to shop there. They are free to spend their money elsewhere.
Did I get that right?

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Is "same address" in the US an allowed item for credit scoring say ?

So you can legally be marked down for the bad debts of someone or some relative at the same address until you move and disassociate from them ?

Anyone know ?

And I do note that there are folk offering to help you 'game' credit scores.

No you can't be held accountable for someone else's debt, just because you live at the same address. That would be illegal in the US. Except for your minor children, until the age of 18. Brothers ,sisters , mother father, would be responsible their own debts here as adults over 18.

[Barcey]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Thank you. With some of what's been said I was starting to wonder. It was sounding like Amazon was the ONLY place to shop.
So in other words, people in the UK that don't like Amazon's policies are not bound by law to shop there. They are free to spend their money elsewhere.
Did I get that right?

Yes that is correct. They are also free to complain about Amazon's policies and educate others about them.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Barcey

Yes that is correct. They are also free to complain about Amazon's policies and educate others about them.

I wouldn't mind their complaining one bit if they were not still shopping there.
I don't care if it is 10 cents or 10,000 dollars as long as they are spending money there, they are supporting those policies.
They should put their money where their mouth is.
Cause honey as long as the company is getting money, they don't give a hoot about your opinion.
Now if everyone that didn't like the return policy would stop shopping there, it might make a difference.

Let me play with some averages.
I have heard of 10 accounts being closed or threatened. I am going to use the 10% statistic that says only 10% of those affected will complain.
So now we are up to 100 people. Amazon has over a million customers.
That is .0001% of those million customers so not even a drop in the bucket.

[Barbara1955]

IF I got 1 letter from Amazon Saying they were going to close my account for too many returns. I Stop buying things from them I couldn't convert to keep. I would just stick to ebooks. On the 2nd letter I buy my ebooks some where else. I would Not keep buying from them that's for sure.

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Now if everyone that didn't like the return policy would stop shopping there, it might make a difference.

My entire poiint has been that I think some people would stop shopping there if they knew what the return policy actually was and that's why Amazon neither accurately nor completely articulates its policy.

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I have heard of 10 accounts being closed or threatened.

I just did a Google search for "Amazon closed my account". If I only read the first page of the "about 51,300,000 results" then I would know of 10 accounts being closed or threatened.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Because there clearly are people who genuinely abuse the generous returns policy, such as the person we had here at MR a few years ago complaining that he'd had his account closed, when it turned out he'd been using Amazon as a "tryout" service, buying and returning numerous different brands of very expensive DSLR cameras to find the model he liked. Given that Amazon are unable to resell such returned products as new, they really can't afford, from a commercial perspective, to have such people as customers.

I am going by memory here so some of the details may be off. A Guild Jewelry Store in New Jersey sold as new a Rolex watch that had never been worn. It had been previously sold and returned unused. The retailer returned it to stock and sold it again. The purchaser found out that it had been sold before and sued the retailer. The customer won the case, although I do not know if it was overturned on appeal. Most independents can not afford to have customers that constantly return items, especially any that have been altered to fit the customer.
Apache
Apache

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Apache

I am going by memory here so some of the details may be off. A Guild Jewelry Store in New Jersey sold as new a Rolex watch that had never been worn. It had been previously sold and returned unused. The retailer returned it to stock and sold it again. The purchaser found out that it had been sold before and sued the retailer. The customer won the case, although I do not know if it was overturned on appeal. Most independents can not afford to have customers that constantly return items, especially any that have been altered to fit the customer.
Apache
Apache

Yes, the customer would win in that case because selling a used anything as new is fraud. That was a clear cut case.
Oh and how could one prove that a Rolex hadn't been used.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Katie1

IF I got 1 letter from Amazon Saying they were going to close my account for too many returns. I Stop buying things from them I couldn't convert to keep. I would just stick to ebooks. On the 2nd letter I buy my ebooks some where else. I would Not keep buying from them that's for sure.

My Amazon account is a joint account it's not just mine, or me buying. I do buy my books elsewhere, it's not so easy for my husband.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I wouldn't mind their complaining one bit if they were not still shopping there.
I don't care if it is 10 cents or 10,000 dollars as long as they are spending money there, they are supporting those policies.
They should put their money where their mouth is.
Cause honey as long as the company is getting money, they don't give a hoot about your opinion.
Now if everyone that didn't like the return policy would stop shopping there, it might make a difference.

Let me play with some averages.
I have heard of 10 accounts being closed or threatened. I am going to use the 10% statistic that says only 10% of those affected will complain.
So now we are up to 100 people. Amazon has over a million customers.
That is .0001% of those million customers so not even a drop in the bucket.

And 'honey' they wouldn't give a hoot about my opinion whether I spend money with them or not. I'm not biting off my nose to spite my face. I buy from them when it suits me. And I can still complain if I want.

I hate Sky but I have a subscription, because it's that or nothing, I just lower my expectations which is what I've done with Amazon.

[Josieb1]

Anyone else taking a pot shot? I'm getting mightlily p***ed off by the holier than thou attitude on here. Or is Harry going to simply tell me to shut up and go away again?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

My Amazon account is a joint account it's not just mine, or me buying. I do buy my books elsewhere, it's not so easy for my husband.

Ok this confuses me.
Why can't your husband buy elsewhere?
Are you saying that you couldn't convert for him?
Are you saying your husband is mentally incompetent?
Or are you saying he doesn't want you touching his stuff?

Oh and we have separate accounts to keep our digital stuff separate.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

They had full details from us.

You didn't feature in the programme as someone whose account has been closed though. Those who did, were they as forthcoming with all their returns or did Watchdog choose to focus on a headline grabber and not bother to properly investigate? It seems like the latter.

Originally Posted by Wearever

I think many would be surprised by something like, the brother's account would be closed just because his brother returned to many things and they both lived at the same address.

The fact is, we don't actually know if this is the case or not. There might be more linking the accounts than them just staying at the same address.

It was such a shallow piece that it's difficult to take anything concrete from it, other than what we already know.