Consumer Protection BC penalizes Amazon for unlawful delivery and refund practices
By Contributor
Consumer Protection BC urges consumers to know their delivery rights after issuing a penalty to online retail giant Amazon. The regulator ordered Amazon to pay close to $20,000 in administrative penalties and inspection fees for violating BC’s consumer protection laws.
The action follows a decision by Consumer Protection BC which found Amazon failed to refund a consumer who said they never received their online order. Amazon told the consumer they delivered the package to someone at the home.
“When you buy something online, you should know exactly how it will be delivered because it’s clearly outlined and you’ve agreed to it,” says Louise Hartland, director of public relations for Consumer Protection BC. “It is not good enough for an online retailer to simply drop packages at the door or hand them to another person if the consumer has not agreed to this. This kind of delivery may be allowed, but only with the customer’s understanding and consent.”
Amazon has 30 days to apply for a reconsideration of the decision. The company must also refund the consumer more than $500 for the missing items.
“We recognize consumers appreciate the convenience of Amazon’s delivery services. We don’t want that to change. We are hopeful Amazon will clearly disclose to customers how their contactless delivery model works to align with consumer protection laws, which ultimately better protects its customers,” says Hartland.
Read the full decision on the Consumer Protection BC website.
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