A Massachusetts couple says it was fun when they started receiving free mystery packages from Amazon they hadn’t ordered.
Now they want it to stop.
Mike and Kelly Gallivan, of Acton, received the first mysterious package in October, The Boston Globe reported.
Months later, they have continued to receive one or two packages a week with mostly cheap stuff like plastic fans and phone chargers.
Mike and Kelly Gallivan have been receiving mysterious packages from Amazon since October
The Gallivans’s home is now cramped with random items they never asked for, including phone cases, a USB-powered humidifier, high-intensity flashlights, and a rechargeable dog colla
The packages, which seemed like a simple misunderstanding at first, have turned into a nightmare for the retired couple, who have no idea why they keep receiving them.
Former surgical nurse Kelly, 68, said: ‘We’re just plain, ordinary people.
‘We don’t want any part of this. But the packages just keep coming.’
Two experts say the Gallivans are likely being used to manipulate Amazon buyer reviews – The anonymous sender is likely writing glowing reviews of their own product.
According to James Thomson and Chris McCabe, who used to work for the online retailer, anonymous buyers can try to boost up a product by setting up fake email and Amazon accounts, buying the items, and leaving glowing reviews once they’ve been delivered to the unknowing recipients.
The packages arrive in a white van with no invoices or receipts included, with a return address of Amazon’s warehouse in Lexington, Kentucky
When Mike first reached out to Amazon, they seemed as confused by the situation as he was, but only told him the products were paid by a gift card
Once, a package listed a return address as Xiamen Paji Trading Co. in China’s Faujian province
This, Thomson told the Globe, is an issue Amazon should investigate, as it jeopardizes the credibility of their reviews.
‘Amazon’s No. 1 consideration is what’s best for the customer,’ he said. ‘And customers need to know the reviews they read on Amazon are not fraudulent.’
The Gallivans’s home is now cramped with phone cases, a computer vacuum cleaner, a USB-powered humidifier, high-intensity flashlights, a cigarette-lighter key chain, a rechargeable dog collar, a facial mask, and many other random items they never asked for.
They arrive in a white van with no invoices or receipts included, with a return address of Amazon’s warehouse in Lexington, Kentucky.
The couple says Amazon told them the merchandise was paid with a gift card with no sender’s name or address, and that’s all the information they can provide.
Once, a package listed a return address as Xiamen Paji Trading Co. in China’s Faujian province.
In the dark: The couple has reached out to Amazon but the company has only told them the products were bought by an anonymous person with a gift card
When Mike first reached out to Amazon, they seemed as confused by the situation as he was, but only told him the products were paid by a gift card.
Because they didn’t seem concerned, Mike figured there was nothing to worry about. But when the packages didn’t stop, he decided to call Amazon again.
The online retailer promised it would investigate the situation, but, two months later, Mike has yet to hear back from them.
The Gallivans, frustrated by the mystery, reached out to Boston Globe reporter Sean Murphy, who has contacted Amazon about the packages.
An Amazon spokeswoman told him the Seattle-based company is investigating inquiries from consumers who have received unsolicited packages and will ban vendors who abuse the reviews system.