Case of the month: Theft during delivery and unresponsive seller: a story with a happy ending

A consumer ordered and paid for a mobile phone from the online company Amazon EU. Upon receiving the package, which was delivered by the courier service, he was in for an unpleasant surprise – the package only contained a charger and instructions for use, with the main item – the mobile phone – missing.

He immediately notified both the seller and the courier service. The latter confirmed that the theft of the package's contents occurred during transport from the Amazon EU warehouse. The company requested that the consumer submit a police report, which the consumer obtained and forwarded. Despite this, the company argued that the police report was not adequate but did not explain what was missing from it.

During the consumer's numerous attempts to obtain further clarifications, Amazon EU closed his user account due to an alleged violation of the terms of use. This action prevented any further communication, as it was impossible to contact the company without an active account.

The consumer therefore found himself in a difficult situation: the courier service stated that they could only proceed to process the case with the company's consent, but the consumer could no longer access the company. This left him trapped in an administrative deadlock where neither party was willing or able to act without the cooperation of the other.

In search of a solution, the consumer turned to the European Consumer Centre (ECC) Slovenia. After reviewing the documentation and circumstances of the case, the ECC Slovenia's legal advisor referred the case for further processing to the ECC Luxembourg, where Amazon EU is headquartered.

Thanks to effective cooperation within the ECC network, the case was successfully resolved – the ECC Luxembourg intervened with the company and secured a full refund. The consumer was very satisfied with the outcome.

Photo: depositphotos