[Biglad465]

This is a part tutorial / partly to check my understanding of the method. It's relatively simple but I remember my first SE method I couldn't get my head around how to execute this method or how it works. This tutorial will be mainly focused around amazon but the concept is easily applicable to other companies.

What is the wrong item method?

Spoiler:

The Wrong Item Method is a method of SEing amazon for a refund on a purchase. You convince the amazon rep you were sent an item completely different to what you ordered and therefore are entitled to a refund.

The trick is that the item you say you were sent has a weight identical (or very similar) of that to the item you were trying to SE.

Why does it work?

Spoiler:

This i'm not entirely sure of , I assume it's something like this:

When you process an order a label will be printed out and given to an amazon employee. It is then that employee's job to fetch the item and package it up. However sometimes , an employee will make a mistake or simply get confused (as all humans do) and put the wrong item in the box. Then package it up. The package would be weighed and if the weight matches roughly that of what you are ordering , the parcel will be dispatched. If not an alert will be triggered and the item will be restocked.

That's why it's important to have an item of the same weight , furthermore remember that it is simply the item they got wrong not the whole packaging. Remember you need a matching item weight not shipping weight , and the item you are saying they sent you must be able to fit into the package of the item you want to keep for free.

As I said i'm not entirely sure of how this works myself , so do correct me if I'm wrong.

Why is this method so good?

Spoiler:

It is one of the few methods Amazon cannot dispute , DNA's sometimes get declined due to carrier investigations etc.. however the only evidence they have is the shipping weight printed on the item label , the items are identical and therefore there's no way of proving which item you really got.

The only way this method could be prevented is by installing cameras which photograph each order number and label .

Honestly , it's probably cheaper for Amazon to just give refunds on this 0.001% of orders that claim they recieved a wrong item than install the cameras and set up necessary software.

Things to watch out for with this method

Spoiler:

This method is placing the blame on the amazon warehouse , that's why both the item you are SEing AND the replacement item must both be (at the very least) fulfilled by amazon. If an item is fulfilled by amazon it means it is dispatched from their warehouse. Think about it : There's no way that a soap manufactured and dispatched from China would mistakenly get picked up by an Amazon employee working in one of their USA warehouses.

Also , stating the obvious , do not order both items off the same account / to the same address . This gives them reason to deny your claim.

Summary

. Order the item you want to SE (that is fulfilled by amazon) and check the item weight

. Find an item (also fulfilled by amazon) that is the same size or smaller than the item you want to SE. If you are sending this one back it should be cheaper than the item you want to SE in order to make this worth your time.

. Order the items on separate accounts to separate addresses

. Contact amazon customer support and tell them you were sent the wrong item , if everything checks out , you will be asked to print off a return label and send back the item you were sent "by mistake".



Thanks for reading this , I know it's long but I wanted it to be as detailed as possible to answer any questions someone may have.

I will say, having worked in a fulfillment center for Amazon the reason the wrong item method works is indeed from a Packers error. They are the last ones to touch the item. In reality, though, the amount of times a wrong item makes it through the "Auto Slam" (Auto puts on the shipping label) is quite low. Most of them will kick out and be opened up, then repacked with the corrections made. With that said, if an item with a similar weight is accidentally put in, which even though rare, does happen, then it's going to make it all the way to the semi truck to be sent to a sorting center. Furthermore, if an item weighs next to nothing or is something commonly found in a yellow Amazon envelope...these packages are normally under a pound and thus are always going to go through.
There is no real way as of right now for Amazon to dispute a wrong item as long as they carry it. But as mentioned already, this method isn't exclusive to Amazon. It will work with a lot of companies. The item is what matters most when deciding which method to use.

Thanks for the insider knowledge.

[LocalHeadache]

Gonna try this one out very soon on Amazon
Will update you on the result!

EDIT: so would these two product descriptions be satisfactory for wrong item received?

ITEM to SE
Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.6 x 3.3 cm 55g
Boxed-product Weight: 159 g
Item model number: 1646100
ASIN: B07MHJ28YM

Wrong Item
Product Dimensions: 5 x 2.5 x 2 cm ; 49.9 g
Boxed-product Weight: 159 g
tem model number: T2
ASIN: B07R41WY2D

[Biglad465]

Gonna try this one out very soon on Amazon
Will update you on the result!

EDIT: so would these two product descriptions be satisfactory for wrong item received?

ITEM to SE
Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.6 x 3.3 cm 55g
Boxed-product Weight: 159 g
Item model number: 1646100
ASIN: B07MHJ28YM

Wrong Item
Product Dimensions: 5 x 2.5 x 2 cm ; 49.9 g
Boxed-product Weight: 159 g
tem model number: T2
ASIN: B07R41WY2D

Yes, good find. Those would work well with one another . Alternatively , empty box will also work seeing as the product is light . Up to you

[mitchellMTM]

I actually did this a year ago with a 3,000 dollar laptop on Amazon. Checked the item weight, bought it. Logged on my second amazon account, got an item that was pretty similar in weight, got it shipped to an Amazon Locker. Called up Amazon, they told me they were gonna do a 3 day investigation. Called on the second day, guy tells me that for some reason he cant do a refund (he didn't know about the investigation either) . I told him that I just wanted my item so after pushing a little bit he sent me a replacement, then i just sent it back for a refund. Best refund i've done on Amazon.

[Biglad465]

I actually did this a year ago with a 3,000 dollar laptop on Amazon. Checked the item weight, bought it. Logged on my second amazon account, got an item that was pretty similar in weight, got it shipped to an Amazon Locker.  Called up Amazon, they told me they were gonna do a 3 day investigation. Called on the second day, guy tells me that for some reason he cant do a refund (he didn't know about the investigation either) . I told him that I just wanted my item so after pushing a little bit he sent me a replacement, then i just sent it back for a refund. Best refund i've done on Amazon.

3k …. that's a nice payday. In these scenarios wrong item received is definitely the way to go lol

[mitchellMTM]

I actually did this a year ago with a 3,000 dollar laptop on Amazon. Checked the item weight, bought it. Logged on my second amazon account, got an item that was pretty similar in weight, got it shipped to an Amazon Locker.  Called up Amazon, they told me they were gonna do a 3 day investigation. Called on the second day, guy tells me that for some reason he cant do a refund (he didn't know about the investigation either) . I told him that I just wanted my item so after pushing a little bit he sent me a replacement, then i just sent it back for a refund. Best refund i've done on Amazon.

3k …. that's a nice payday. In these scenarios wrong item received is definitely the way to go lol

Agreed. Wrong item and Partials are my go to for Amazon. I haven't done wrong item with any other companies but i might try it out soon.

[Voxis]

Very nice method. It's well thought out.

[seal]

thanks for writing this out

[Lonestalker187]

Looks like a good method thanks for sharing

[Brunto]

when I have to send the product back, do I have to send it in the packaging of the article I want to do se or of the secondary article that costs less?