It’s one thing to knowingly buy a used item on Amazon to save a few bucks, but it’s a whole other thing to order an item that’s supposed to be new and receive it in a state that’s obviously used. The latter is the circumstance that The Weeknd fan and Amazon customer Elle (@eclectic_elle) found herself in.
In a viral TikTok, Elle begins putting on a pair of blue disposable latex gloves and telling Amazon to count its days. She explains that she will be attending The Weeknd’s concert over the weekend (how fitting) and that she purchased a leather mini skirt from Amazon for the occasion that had just arrived.
When she opens the package, she thinks, “Oh, it’s really cute,” which this writer agrees with. She also notes another plus I always appreciate in a skirt: “There’s built-in shorts,” she says.
So what’s the problem?
After the setup, Elle shows why she needed to put on gloves for the video. When she opens up the skirt, there is a large stain that appears to have come from bodily fluid in the crotch of the skirt’s shorts.
The fluid prompted Elle to question which “nasty [expletive]” returned the shorts like that and whether they wear underwear. She also questions why Amazon would sell her the skirt in that condition.
“When I buy stuff on Amazon, I expect it to be brand-new,” she says. “Do you not do like a compliance check for stuff like this?”
Ultimately, the experience left her speechless and disgusted. She plans to return the skirt. Hopefully, she can get a new one in time for the concert.
Commenters are shook
In the comments section, many commenters expressed disbelief at Elle’s experience.
“I was not prepared. Oh my god,” one wrote.
A second said, “Girl my mouth is still on the floor…omg.”
Others shared that they were now skeptical of buying from Amazon or that the company had gone down in quality.
“Amazon has definitely gotten worse recently,” user Christine Johnson wrote.
Another viewer joked, “*deletes the pair of yoga pants in my amazon cart*”
Some said they were looking forward to seeing how Amazon handles the situation. As someone who was recently in this scenario, I can speak from experience.
What should I do if a ‘new’ item I bought on Amazon is clearly used?
I recently purchased a pink humidifier for my room and was horrified to see that it was clearly used when it arrived. Reader, I kid you not, there were still full droplets of water all over it. Now, I’m not against a little Used – Like New shopping on Amazon to save a little cheddar, but this was unacceptable as I ordered the product new.
To report the issue, I went to the Your Orders page in the Amazon app and selected the item. I then selected “Return or replace items” and checked the “Product damaged, but shipping box OK” option. (If this option does not match your dilemma, select the one that best fits.) Amazon gave me some prompts asking what was wrong with the product, which I answered. I was then taken to a page that gave me three options: Replace with the exact same item, Refund to your Amazon account balance, or Refund to your Visa.
I chanced it and selected replace because I really wanted the item. A new, clean one was delivered to me in a short time, as I am a Prime member.
This process is exactly what Amazon says to do on its website
It states, “If the item doesn’t have a replacement option or you received the item as a gift, you’ll need to return the original item and place a new order. To return an item, visit Returns Items You Ordered. To return a gift item, visit Gift Returns.”
@eclectic_elle @Amazon ♬ original sound – Eclectic.Elle
If you’re receiving a replacement, it adds, “A replacement order, with the same shipping speed as the original item, will be created. You’ll need to return the original item by the ‘Return By Date’ provided to you at the time of return creation to avoid being charged for keeping both the original and replacement items.”
The site also notes that it’s possible the replacement may not be shipped out until the original is received (though I’ve never had this happen to me). “We recommend you to ship back the original item(s) as soon as you request a replacement,” it states.
The Mary Sue contacted Elle via TikTok comment and direct message. It contacted Amazon via press email.
Update: In a direct message exchange with The Mary Sue, Elle said, “Amazon needs to do a better job of checking their returns and not reselling items that are used and claiming them to be new.”
She also shared her difficulty resolving the situation with Amazon. She says it offered her a replacement if she sent the skirt back, but she refused because she didn’t want Amazon to think she dirtied the skirt or for them to resell it to someone else. After an hour and a half on the phone, she says Amazon finally agreed to replace the item and let her discard the old one.
That’s not enough for her, however.
“They wouldn’t give me my money back. So I will be returning the replacement,” she said.
Regarding whether or not she will have a skirt in time for the concert, she says she will, but it will not be from the seller she originally purchased from because she wants “nothing to do with that seller on Amazon.”
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