UPDATE: Following the Action News story on mystery Amazon packages, a representative from the company contacted the Troy couple and told them the sellers of the mysterious packages were tracked down and those products have since been taken off of the website.
___
Who doesn’t like to get free stuff? But is it possible to get too much of a good thing?
One couple in Troy says they’ve been receiving mystery packages from Amazon containing items they didn’t order.
There are news stories popping up of this happening to people across the country.
A spokesperson from Amazon says they are investigating multiple reports of unsolicited Amazon packages and that they’ve confirmed that the sellers involved didnt receive customer addresses from Amazon.
Begging the question, where are companies getting the addresses?
Altogether, Jeff Priskorn and his wife Jackie Floyd have received nine packages from Amazon containing items they didn’t order.
“There’s no return address, no packing slip, there’s no tracking number,” Floyd said.
She says not even Amazon knows for sure who is sending them, and that a customer service representative told her one of the packages was paid for with a gift card so they can’t track who bought it.
It all began with a wig.
“Two days later, I got two more of the same wig,” Floyd said.
So she called Amazon customer service.
"Tthey said you’re not being charged," she said. "I think it’s just a gift from the manufacturer."
It was a gift that kept on giving.
“A week later, I got two more (wigs), and they are in separate packages coming from separate warehouses," Floyd said. "One was from Vegas, one was from Kentucky. So, I contact Amazon again and say, 'really, this is over the top. I mean, who needs six "Belle" wigs?”
The wigs finally stopped coming, but free stuff with labels from Amazon warehouses kept landing on their doorstep.
“We’ve gotten two tree skirts, a storm glass and six “Belle” wigs. Why can’t it be something cool?” Floyd said.
She added that she and her hubby have a public wishlist on Amazon, but none of the items they’ve received so far are on it.
There are a couple theories floating around the internet as to why this is happening. One is that companies could be doing this to boost their online reviews somehow. Amazon says that’s against their policy and they remove sellers that violate their policies and contact authorities when necessary.
While getting free stuff seems like a good thing, the mystery of how these companies are getting ahold of personal information like addresses is concerning.
An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement:
"We are investigating inquiries from consumers who have received unsolicited packages as this would violate our policies. We have confirmed the sellers involved did not receive names or shipping addresses from Amazon. We remove sellers in violation of our policies, withhold payments, and work with law enforcement to take appropriate action."
