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.
@AmazonIndia2013 http://t.co/wFjx6O5xHJ
unbelievable.
i think koushik should have just cashed their stupid check and given you the money!
case solved!
until you want to do business with them again.
then you’ll always have to have koushik pay for it and you pay HIM!
LOLOL.
see?
i am learning to laugh at this incompetency. well. sort. of.
inside it still makes my blood boil!
tammyj recently posted..the real enemy
Koushik would have gladly done that but I came to know that the cheque had gone to him much later after the complaint got kicked around for over three weeks.
🙂 …. I think that last email you got requesting your bank information surely must have come from someone who fell off their pet elephant onto their head while out for a casual ride last evening. Loved your response however!
Alan G recently posted..My Life As A Pet Photographer….
The saga however continues Alan. People there do not seem to be understanding what the issue is.
I find all very hard to believe. Elly regularly orders items from Amazon and has them delivered to me – no charge for delivery to the UK. They always arrive before the suggested date. Only once was an item damaged, so I took a photo and sent it to Elly and she was able to have it sorted post haste and a replacement sent to me immediately.
Grannymar recently posted..Getting it wrong.
Amazon India is still very new to Indian conditions. They will learn. I have had no problems with Amazon UK and Amazon USA.
Wow! Amazon USA gives great service. I’m amazed that you’re still using mail and checks. Here we use credit cards, so getting our money refunded is no problem. And if something is defective we can print out a prepaid address label and ship the item back to them. Or if you’re a good customer and it’s a low-cost item they just refund the money and say toss the item. If there’s a more complicated problem we go online, say we want to talk to them by phone, and someone immediately phones us to resolve the problem. We do most of our online shopping using Amazon because of their customer-centric business model. Amazon India has a lot to learn.
Please change your titles to Amazon India. You’re maligning my Amazon. 🙂
Cheerful Monk recently posted..A Big Step
I rarely use cheques and the Indian post. For some strange reason Amazon is doing this on this occasion. Other marketeers simply recredit the credit or debit card account with any refund.
I have changed the title as you suggested as I think that your observation is right.
I agree with Jean, I’ve never had any major problems with Amazon, they’re always extremely efficient. Like her, I always pay with a credit or debit card. They certainly seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill in this case.
nick recently posted..Our bed
Nick, Amazon in India is still a new entrant to the online marketers space. I am sure that their employees are learning and this kind of experience will make them stronger in the future.
Oh, by the way, I’m now able to access your blog from my home pc. Hoorah!
nick recently posted..Our bed
Congratulations and I am delighted. As I had said earlier, perhaps they had given you some high security cover for a while. Elections?
crazy communiators and comminations 🙂 so with all those letters my spelling brain has gone crazy as well…
Welcome to the club Cathy.