I’ve just received a message from a customer that was identical to the one I received a couple of days ago.
Does anyone know if it’s an Amazon message template, or if it’s people looking up how to get free stuff? Please see below.
“I still have not received my order even though the estimated delivery date has passed. Can you expedite the shipment or provide additional tracking information for my order no. (REDACTED) if the item is expected to arrive soon, or otherwise process a full refund?”
Hello @JCD,
thank you for posting into our forum. It could be a new template feature, since Amazon recently started implementing them into buyer-seller messaging. I have seen templates on the seller side, so far I am unaware of any templates being available to buyers.
The message does sound unusually polite and straightforward with the issue and options. Fraudulent buyers rarely ask for tracking information or expedited delivery of their delayed orders. What does the tracking say?
Maybe it would help if someone with recent orders from Amazon could check if they are seeing any templates when attempting to contact the seller.
That’s been reported several times recently on the dying uk forum (and I think by you today).
It’s either an Amazon template or one suggested by a Facebook group for scamming sellers.
That is key to this issue “customer”
That is just a variant of a typical scammers trick.
I am assuming you are using FBA, if that is the case delete and move on. Let amazon do what you are paying them to do.
If you are FBM save all the documentation regarding that issue. When it smells like a scam it might be so be prepared.
Also, if you are FBM us the USPS exclusively for your shipments that originate from amazon and ebay websites. USPS will investigate when you are ripped off, especially on amazon when the tracking shows delivered and buyer claims “I have a ring camera at the mailbox and did not see your package arrive”. For a while that one was VERY popular, still get a few but not many.
NEVER volunteer a refund when tracking shows delivered.
Thanks. I haven’t yet been able to confirm if it is an Amazon template or not.
I’m FBM, and I never just refund straight away. Just really keen to find out if it’s an Amazon template or not.
I think that the forum will be more active in a few months - the same followed on the US forum. It takes time for people to get used to the new software. Departing users will be replaced by newcomers who never used the old forums.
I have seen your thread on the forum. I think that if this was an official template, you would have received a reply from an Amazon representative confirming its authenticity.
I think that others may be right in saying that this is a scamming template from FB.
Maybe.
Personally, I find it unusable. There is no “latest” function and the nested replies are awful for readability.
You can’t skip to the last post that you read in the thread.
etc etc. many more issues.
Thanks.
Neither of the customers have yet gone ahead and asked for a refund, so I’ll see what happens.
Don’t suppose that you, or anyone else here, knows of any particular Facebook groups that encourage this sort of stuff? I was thinking of spying on a few!
I agree that the readability is worse now. Previously, you could scroll the whole thread in seconds and skim over the replies - all of them being the same size, while now you have to do lots of clicks to expose all the hidden nested replies.
However, the purpose of the nesting change was to make it easier for different users to contribute and prevent the derailing of threads by coordinated groups aggressively disputing someone in response.
In my case, if replies were nested, then there would be my standalone post for readers to consider with let’s say 10 spiteful replies hidden underneath. But instead, I posted and a group of always the same users then derailed the whole thread, with their rebuttals being the same size and visibility as my original post.
The nesting gives everyone the chance to have their say and let their view be considered by the OP and other readers, without being spoiled with replies, which are now hidden.
They have six months to open an A-Z claim, hopefully you will never hear from them again.
I am unaware of any buyer FB groups. I doubt that people would be openly conspiring about scamming sellers. I think that they are either private or somewhere on Telegram where the members cannot be traced.
Years ago they would be in closed and secret facebook groups. Those are the ones by invite only, not sure if those are still options, this is from many years ago.
Every one using those “secret” sites can be traced. It only takes a subpoena from law enforcement and they have to supply the information.
Oh my, that does bring back memories.
We never understood why they attacked you. You helped so many people. It is obvious why they would attack me and their agenda was very clear in my case.
One of the best ones on that forum is when I called out the Vitamin and Supplement Peddlers for selling BS to the customers. amazon made sure that stuff got deleted…
I believe that all of the scamming tips could be coming from Reddit. This is an anonymous “wild west” type of forum where anyone can post what they like. On FB, any guides advising how to scam people could get you banned.
It’s not that easy (as someone who pursued numerous subpoenas in the US and elsewhere). They can be using VPN, fake names, fake e-mail addresses and even once an individual is identified, they can deny being behind the computer.
It takes 1-2 years for the law enforcement to 100% establish the identity of a poster online and they rarely do so unless they have a big case or let’s say a privately funded prosecution which is common in Europe.
I was once told by someone that it was for “stealing their thunder”. Indeed, mocking newbie sellers on forums isn’t so much fun when there is a young girl standing out with professional replies and you are there behaving like a kid, fishing for likes with snide remarks rather than trying to help the OP.
I suspected it was a cat fight… Your friend even suspended me for a couple weeks. In that case I did clearly violate the forum policy. I assumed since every re-brander on amazon was doing it, sharing that technique with some seller that was being attacked by a competitor was not an issue. Wrong…After the fact I was indeed guilty in that instance.
I am unaware of you being suspended, but the rules should be the same for everyone. Not that a small group of users has a clean slate for the entirety of their presence on the forum and is free to goad rival advisors and get them suspended.
If you randomly open any discussion on the forum, you will see a set of always the same users whose every post intentionally violates the rules in some way. These never have any actions taken against them, neither warnings, nor suspensions. Yet, they have a habit of privately messaging the moderators and lobbying seeking to get others suspended.
Amazon Seller Forums should be there to serve as a place where to participate in professional discussions and learn something new. Instead, they are a playground for sad lonely individuals who take pleasure in pursing others and causing them to get suspended.
If you were suspended, then I guarantee you it happened because one of the veterans lobbied for it through private messages.
I would say you are 100% correct on that. That was suspected, since others have actually posted other stuff that was not acted upon.
Another issue is some of those advisors did not like the buyers with problems getting solutions for free.
Something was really odd with that forum and I never did get that pin pointed. It was shocking how myself and my dear friend @lake were accused of being amazon shills. Never did figure out the agenda behind those comments.
All I am thinking about is a great inspiration for a Netflix horror series. Honestly, I have never seen anything like this. The forum is operated by a secretive cult-like group of individuals who are all equally obsessed with the forum, the moderators and the users. I have been successful in uncovering some of it through my court cases, but there is so much that remains hidden.
I can only imagine what has been going on behind every ones back. Pretty sure that some day an amazon official will not be able to live themselves any more and will have to let it all out to the public.
Looks like big tech and social media are finally getting unwrapped along with the others involved with election interference in the USA. When the bubble finally bursts its going to splatter all over the place.
Here’s an update:
Both customers got back to me. One thanking me as the item finally arrived and she loved it. The second saying it arrived too late and wants to return it. So it does suggest it’s an Amazon template.
The best thing is regulation. The EU is already cracking down on social media gigants and holding them accountable over social media abuse of vulnerable individuals if they fail to take action.
That’s great to hear! I though it wasn’t a scamming template after all, since it mentioned waiting for the item to arrive and tracking updates.
Fraudulent buyers usually straight ask for refunds with no alternatives and are threatening with A-Z claims.