Dear Amazon,

I’m writing to you about my recent experience with using the Amazon service to purchase a camera and two lenses for a trip I’m planning on taking at the end of the month. I thought I gave myself enough time to order and receive the camera before I left, but I’m now less than two weeks out and it’s looking unlikely that I’ll be receiving this equipment before I go.

Just to recap the timeline of my orders:

1. July 31st I placed an order for a Sony A7RIII camera along with two lenses – a 16-35mm and a 24-70mm.
2. Amazon contacted me and asked that I verify my billing address by uploading a recent copy of my credit card statement (the one used to purchase the camera) through a document portal which appeared when I logged into my Amazon account.
3. I complied and sent a statement through the document portal.
4. Amazon then requested another statement.
5. I complied again and sent two statements through the document portal.
6. Amazon released the hold on my account.
7. One of the lenses was no longer available, so Amazon debited $4.5k from my credit card and shipped the camera and the one lens that was available.
8. I then sourced another lens on Amazon to replace the one missing from the shipment and placed an order.
9. Amazon contacted me and asked that I verify my billing address by uploading a recent copy of my credit card statement (the one used to purchase the lens) through a document portal which appeared when I logged into my Amazon account.
10. I complied and sent a statement through the document portal.
11. Amazon then requested another statement.
12. I complied again and sent two statements through the document portal.
13. Amazon then requested another statement.
14. I once again complied and sent two more statements through the document portal.
15. Amazon then canceled the second order for the lens, requested DHL to hold the package en route at their processing center in Cincinnati and then terminated my account.
16. I was advised by email that a refund had been issued by Amazon for the shipping charges because the package was delayed.
17. A few days went by without an update, so I called customer service.
18. Customer service took some billing information and said I’d receive a response in 24 hours.
19. No response in 24 hours.
20. I called customer service again and explained the issue.
21. This time a very sympathetic agent told me that this issue had been escalated to the highest level and that I’d receive a response in 1-2 hours.
22. No response in 1-2 hours.
23. I called customer service again and explained the issue.
24. This time I spoke to a Supervisor who requested a cancellation of the order and advised that I’d be receiving an email from an Account Engagement Team.
25. No response from the Account Engagement Team
26. I received an email from Audible.com requesting that I send billing information for my Visa card to a fax number. I didn’t buy anything from Audible and I didn’t use my Visa card to make a purchase but they did refence the Amazon camera order number. I don’t have a fax machine.
27. I called customer service again and explained the issue.
28. This time I spoke to a Supervisor who told me that he couldn’t do anything and that I should just be patient. He noted that I’d be receiving a response within 24 hours.
29. No response in 24 hours.
30. I called customer service again and explained the issue.
31. This time I spoke to a Supervisor who said she can try and resolve the issue and would call me in an hour or two.
32. Received an email from the Supervisor telling me that I have to send them a recent statement for the credit card I used to purchase the camera via fax, but no fax number was provided.
33. Received an email from Amazon address verification which and asked that I upload a recent copy of my credit card statement (the one used to purchase the camera) through a document portal which appeared when I logged into my Amazon account.
34. Logged into my Amazon account, but there was no document portal, just a statement which said to follow the instructions in the email.
35. I called customer service again and explained the issue.
36. The agent suggested that I go to my bank and dispute the charge. Was transferred to a Supervisor, but was promptly cut-off.
37. I called customer service again and explained the issue.
38. The agent referred me to a Supervisor who explained that the only way to refund the money was to unlock the account by faxing through a statement to the Account Verification team.
39. I explained to the agent that (a) I don’t have access to a fax machine, and (b) I’m just going to send the same statement which I’ve sent to Amazon 5 times now. The statement which Amazon didn’t like and was the catalyst for my account being terminated and the order being placed on hold while in transit.

At this stage, I’ve spent a total of 4+ hours on the phone with Amazon trying to resolve the issue, I don’t have the camera and I’m out $4.5k.

I no longer want the camera I ordered and just want to be refunded the $4.5k back to my credit card. And it looks like the only way to do that is to contact my bank tomorrow morning, cancel my credit card and dispute the charge. That process will take upwards of 6 weeks to get the refund processed, if they can actually do that. In the meantime, I am out $4.5k.

I’ve never experienced this level of poor customer service before. I’ve dealt with some pretty sketch service providers over the years, both online and in person, and have never experienced something like this. This was extremely poor form on Amazon’s part.

As such, this is the first and last time I’ll be using Amazon.

……………………………..