Amazing Amazon II.

I received the following mail, now presumably from someone in their Accounts / Finance Section.

“Hello,

I understand you need the cheque to be sent with a different name other than what is mentioned on the order.

However, we’ll initiate a stop payment on the first cheque and will issue a new cheque with the new name. You may dispose the first cheque if you receive it with the name on order.

In order to proceed further, we require the authorization letter for accounting purposes and legal restrictions:

**************************************************

AUTHORISATION & RELEASE LETTER

[month & year]

TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is in reference to my request for the refund amount of INR [•] (“Refund Amount”) against the COD order [Insert order number] placed on amazon.in on [insert date].

I hereby confirm and authorize Mr./Mrs. [Insert name], son/daughter of [Insert father’s name] and resident at [Insert address] having bank account no. [Insert account no. and branch details], to receive the Refund Amount as issued by Amazon Seller Services Private Limited for the aforesaid COD order for and on behalf of me.

I acknowledge that upon receipt of the Refund Amount by [Insert recipient’s name], I hereby release the seller on record and/or Amazon Seller Services Private Limited, its group companies, their directors, officers and agents from any and all claims and liabilities that may arise out of or is in any manner connected to the above mentioned order/transaction. I further acknowledge that no other amount or any other obligation is due to me from the seller on record and/or Amazon Seller Services Private Limited and any of its group companies in this regard.

Yours faithfully,

[Insert name & signature by name on order]
[Insert address including Flat/Plot/House number and Landmark/Street Name/Building Name and contact details]

**************************************************

Please copy the above text into an MS-Word document and fill in all the details. Please save the document, print it and sign on the document. Once the document is signed, please scan the document and send it as an attachment by replying to this email.

Once we receive the above document, we can request the refund cheque to be sent by the specified name.

Thanks for your understanding. We look forward to seeing you again.

Warmest regards,
Srinivas S”

Look how ridiculous it is getting to be! He understands that I need the cheque to be sent with a different name other than what is mentioned on the order. Here is another instance of either lack of English language skills or a simple inability to understand the issue involved. They have already issued a cheque in some one else’s name and now instead of issuing a cheque in my name which is what is on the order, he wants me to give him another name and address. And more importantly, he wants to know my bank account number! He or Amazon must think that I am daft.

Giving him the benefit of doubt because being an accountant, it may be difficult for him to understand English or complex non accounting problems like customer service, I have sent this response to him.

“Mr. Srinivas, how can you expect me to give you my bank account number when you are issuing a cheque to me? In this day and age, it is simply not done.

I will give you my bank’s name and branch details.

Trust that this will do. Kindly confirm.

RAMANA RAJGOPAUL
rrajgopaul@gmail.com”

Now let us see where it takes us.