The third-annual Amazon Prime Day kicked off Monday at 9 p.m. and lasts through 3 a.m. Wednesday. The 30-hour shopping frenzy is anticipated to be the online retailer's biggest sales day of the year.
“If you're in the market for a good deal, you probably want to look at electronics. Amazon has been stocking up on televisions,” said Hitha Hergoz with H Squared Research.
Last year, 90,000 TVs were sold on Amazon Prime Day, according to the company’s press release.
John Goodrich didn't get his TV on Prime Day, but he is a Prime customer and he submitted his order just a few months ago.
“When I got the TV it was cracked and it wasn't due to the shipping it was just a faulty TV to begin with,” Goodrich said.
He reached out to Amazon, who then contacted the third-party seller that Goodrich purchased the TV from.
“It was a month of just going back and forth with different customer service representatives at Amazon to try and get my situation fixed,” said Goodrich.
Then he got this response from Amazon: "I'm so sorry, but we can't offer any additional insight or action on this matter."
“The apologies didn't really change the fact that I was out $350 because I had a broken TV,” Goodrich said.
According to Amazon's policy, items not purchased directly from Amazon or an Amazon fulfillment center falls to the third-party seller. The third-party seller is responsible for fulfilling the order and customer service. Also, a product with Prime shipping doesn't necessarily mean the seller is Amazon.
“I didn't look into who I was buying the product from. I just assumed since I had Amazon Prime that I was buying it directly through Amazon and later I found out that it was through this company that I couldn't even track down through Google or the internet and that was my problem, so lesson learned,” Goodrich said.
He was able to get his money back through his credit card company, but he wants to warn others about his nightmare experience so they don't make the same mistake. Particularly, on days like Amazon Prime Day when consumers act fast to strike lightning deals.
“Make sure you know who it is on the other end of the transaction, who you're buying from,” Goodrich said.
Amazon's "A-to-z Guarantee" covers purchases from third-party sellers. Goodrich said that guarantee didn't help with his case. According to Goodrich, he was unable to contact the review department by phone and they would not credit him until the product was returned to the third-party seller. The seller refused to pay for the return shipping.
Half of all Amazon sales come from third-party sellers. Some tips to avoid buyer's remorse include reading the seller's reviews, looking for brands you know, and if you prefer to order from Amazon directly or the manufacturer, make sure they're the ones listed as the seller.
