[mothered]

I was thinking about saying I received the wrong phone. Maybe I can buy a cheap Samsung phone in a different store and send back that phone  and keep the most expensive. The reason I say another Samsung phone is that is probably easier to believe that the Amazon employee picked the wrong Samsung phone instead of a totally random product with similar weight.

This Is the wrong Item received method that I stated above, which has a good chance of success when formulated effectively- similar to what you've described here.

As long as It belongs to the same department/section In the warehouse, you can still use a wrong Item other than the phone.

But the fact that it's a phone with IMEI, is it possible to trace? For example, they could check their records and confirm that they never had a phone with that IMEI in their warehouse so it would be impossible to mix it up.

This Is why you purchase It from the same company, but on a different account and sent to another address.

As such, It'll be part of their Inventory, hence they'd assume the Incorrect Item was picked, packed and dispatched.

For "the wrong Item sealed box method" I have a similar concern. If, for some reason, the phone I received was returned by another user, it would obviously work but what if they check the IMEI I received was never sent to another person? So, the mix up would have been in the supplier (Samsung) which I find hard to believe.

The only thing you need to focus on, Is that you've opened the sealed box and another Item was enclosed. Whatever the reason/mix up may be, Is not your concern- you received what they've dispatched which was not what you've ordered.

In answer to your question pertaining to the manufacturer error, they happen a lot more often than you think. Without naming specifics, I experience It at work almost every week. Companies are well aware of It, but obviously do not disclose It to consumers.