this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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Amazon customer discovers his Intel Core i9-13900K is an i7-13700K in disguise (www.techspot.com)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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Amazon customer discovers his Intel Core i9-13900K is an i7-13700K in disguise::undefined

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[–] captain_aggravated 64 points 1 year ago (6 children)

I bought a brand new DeWalt thickness planer from Amazon. I open the thing up, and it's already got sawdust in it. "Huh, was it...tested for some reason?" Wasn't much sawdust; like it looked like it had planed maybe one board. I set it up to do a test run on a 2x4, it feeds about 5 inches and stops HARD. The board hit the back roller and just STOPPED. Nothing I could do to get this thing to feed a board through, what I had was a $700 snipe machine.

Okay, planer's defective. This happens sometimes. Called DeWalt first, they could service it but probably the fastest way to get a working planer in my hands was to return it to Amazon for an exchange. Call up Amazon; their phone tree is slightly computarded but I get an actual operator who arranges a pickup of the old unit and a dropoff of a new one.

Here's the problem: That sawdust that was already in the machine. Not much, just a little bit. Almost as if someone had already bought this planer, hooked it up, started it, found it wouldn't feed a board, and returned it to Amazon.

And instead of being sent back to DeWalt or a service center for repair to be sold at a 15% discount as a refurbished unit, instead it was sold to me as-is at full price. I'm guessing it's going to bounce back and forth between customers until they find someone who will just eat the cost.

Mind you, this was labeled as "sold and shipped from Amazon."

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I got a cordless vacuum like this. You could tell it was slightly used. Vacuum company said send it back to Amazon. I wrote in the booklet something along the lines of “this vacuum came to me used and broken via Amazon but sold as new” I then sent it back into amazon, got a refund. I probably won’t get any major purchases off Amazon anymore.

[–] captain_aggravated 12 points 1 year ago

I was more than a little tempted to put a note in the planer that said "Defective, returned to Amazon on [date]" Like maybe taped to the top of the chip chute or something.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm curious: why did you call amazon for a return?

[–] captain_aggravated 13 points 1 year ago

Huh. Didn't think about it at the time but I suppose because I had just called DeWalt's support number and I was in a phone call kind of head space.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Playing devils advocate here but.. I suspect what is happening here is a previous purchaser bought it (broke it?), returned it under a different reason (eg. I dint like it) and Amazon decided it is not worth the hassle of rechecking every return labeled as such.

Mind you this is no consolation for someone like you who has go to through this return process, but I cant believe Amazon is "winning" by keeping a defective product like this in rotation long enough for someone to "eat the cost". Defective products hurt Amazon as well and I'm sure they'd rather take the hit if they could pin point which products are defective.

You could argue that they should bear the cost of validating every return, but clearly someone has crunched the numbers and the program is likely not cost effective.

[–] captain_aggravated 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Okay let's set aside the fact that the machine arrived inoperable. Let's say I got a working planer that arrived with sawdust in it.

Why was I shipped a planer that had been used and returned when I ordered and paid for a brand new one?

Even if the previous owner of the planer had returned it as "changed my mind" or something, surely it would be sold as "Used - Like New" rather than "Brand New?"

Then remember that it was defective, and now what?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here I agree with you. They either got a retun reason like "never used, changed my mind" or simply figured out that for a vast majority of purchases with return codes like this, it is safe to reshelf the object and ship it as new.

Whether the object is to be considered "new" or "like new / used" is probably a gray area. I'm not aware of where most other retailers draw the line on this one (walmart, target, costco, etc.). I'm sure the problem is even harder for online retailers, mostly because its much easier for people to lie on an online return form.

Regardless, my only gripe was people in this thread assuming a conspiracy where they intentionally rotate and peddle defective items hoping someone eats the cost.

[–] captain_aggravated 1 points 1 year ago

Well in this case, I will note that DeWalt shrink wraps their boxes. If the shrink wrap has been removed, consider the "seal" broken and the product is not "new."

As for it being a "conspiracy"? Naw just shitheaded callousness you'd expect from a corporation the size of Amazon. "Keep sending it, someone won't return it."

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I can assue you they do not open and check returns, at least not with any regularity. I bought a 3d printer, used, off of amazon, via sold by/shipped by amazon, and the previous owner/returnee had simply dumped it in a box with some inadequate padding. Amazon never opened the box, and when it arrived on my doorstep it had broken glass, bent frame parts, missing screws, etc.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Some amazon returns require an explanation while others dont. My guess, they took the default or went through the drop down to one that didnt require any actual reasoning.

It is for this reason I have stopped buying some things like Hard Drives (almost always get sold as new but are refurbs or used), or computers. Even when labeled as used amazon allows certain things, like glittery dbrand skins to still quality as "pristine". Also there is a new thing where they will come wiped, but had been registered in Azure/Intune/Apple MDM and thus will still be locked or reporting in.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

I had the same with Amazon and an Espresso machine. Got the box, it was beat up, missing Styrofoam, missing manual and damage to the appliance itself. But I also paid full price. Sent it back directly, got my money back and never ordering from them again.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Im an Amazon seller and this frustrates me to no end. A customer returns something and amazon puts it back into circulation. You cant do anything to stop it. I really wish there was a way i could have them send all returns back to me so i can do the proper thing. Amazon seller forums are filled with sellers wishing they could select to have returned inventory sent back.

[–] captain_aggravated 1 points 1 year ago

Given my experiences with independent Amazon sellers, if I want to buy something from a small independent seller across the Internet I go to eBay, every single time.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I've had a similar experience with some monitor backlights. I was sent a "new" product that, when I opened it, I found it had been cut up (which breaks it), adhesive backing removed, parts removed from packaging, etc. Clearly used, returned, and sold back to me unchecked as new.

Almost as frustrating would be the third party sellers who intentionally send me something other than what I order, claim a mistake and that stock is out on the original order, and then try to convince me to keep it with a discount (price less than what I paid but equal to what I ended up getting), like some sort of shipping shell game. This has happened to me multiple times, from clothing to computer parts.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 year ago (1 children)

At some point there is going to have to be legal action against Amazon. It’s obviously an issue, and they’re clearly complicit and operate their distribution centers in a way that facilitates this.

[–] captain_aggravated 11 points 1 year ago

Just the fact that the company is operating at a level of massiveness where "just keep shipping defective units to customers. Put it back on the shelf and when someone else orders it put it back out. Eventually someone won't complain and just eat the cost." Amazon needs to be broken up.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Most people would not expect to find such scams from a large retailer like Amazon.

I must not be most people because I only expect scams on a scamazon....heck I don't even have a login for the shitty American Chinese reseller. Not worth my time.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Most people buy lots of junk off Amazon, and if there's an issue Amazon just eats the loss.

But these scams abuse it two ways:

  1. But off a legit seller, return the fake. Next person gets the fake.

  2. "Third party seller" where they sell cheap (but solid) junk for months to build reputation, then flip to high price items that are flat out scams.

At some point Amazon switched from a "Walmart model" to more like a swap meet where you have no idea who you're buying from. Not everyone noticed.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Still waiting for my refund for what I suspect was a switcharoo return of a PC. Ordered a renewed Optiplex 7040 with an i7-6700 for a family member, but received someone's old and dusty 3020 with an i3-4150 instead, and the refurb sticker for the right product had been slapped on it.

Figured it was a one-off scam, reordered another one right away, and thankfully the second was legit...but they've had the returned PC for 2 weeks now and still no refund. And course no way to follow up about it within the return status itself, so I'll be wasting even more time trying to chase it down. Something has to change.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

One phone call to your credit card, with all evidence ready.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

While that would get the money back, credit chargebacks often result in being banned from stores. It's safer to try working with the store first.

[–] Jax 7 points 1 year ago

Yeah, gonna be real, I don't give a fuck if I'm banned from a store that simultaneously doesn't give me what I paid for and is slow on making it right.

It's been 2 weeks. Chargeback and be done with them.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah but if they're not cooperating it's worth it.

I bought a used cell phone from an ebay reseller who claimed a one-year warranty. Within that time, it broke, so I put in for a warranty claim. They said sure, here's your shipping label, we'll send you a refund or replacement. Time goes by, no refund or replacement, no reply to further messages. I contact ebay support and they tell me to do a chargeback. So I do. Bank wants some documentation, I provide everything, they put it through, I get the refund, and no account closure from ebay.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Ebay telling you to do it is different. Try a chargeback on steam or origin and you'll potentially lose your entire game library.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why are people so shitty?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

capitalism

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No one ever passed of defective machinery in Russia

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Russia is capitalist

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ok buddy, "no one ever passed off defective machinery in the USSR"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They sure as hell did, all the time. Shit, Vladimir Komarov, a Russian cosmonaut in 1967, crashed full-force into the Earth after dying from re-entry heat, despite scientists saying THAT EXACT THING WOULD HAPPEN, because the capsule was little better than sheet metal bolted together and the parachutes literally did not work. The people who were supposed to check the work at the factory didn't know better - they knew it had been constructed, and that was that. Brezhnev wanted it done, and wanted it done before the anniversary of the Revolution. So it flew, and a man died because it flew.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I agree, I was making fun of tankies who claim.everything from the west sucks

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

the Amazon alternatives available in Southeast Asia are all like this. you really have to watch what you buy, and video record the box being opened when you get it. in some cases the seller is simply allowed by the platform to scam you and you can't get a return.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Someone got ripped off on Amazon. Is that really newsworthy?