What Happens If I Get Someone Else’s Amazon Package? (Full Guide)

Amazon ships over a million packages daily, with distribution centers across the U.S. and international shipping available.

When shopping on Amazon and waiting for your package to arrive, you may wonder what happens if you get someone else’s Amazon package. I was curious about the same thing, so I looked into it more, and here’s what my research revealed!

What Happens If I Get Someone Else’s Amazon Package?

If someone else’s Amazon package is sent to your home, it’s essentially up to you what to do with it. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) states you are not obligated to send the delivery onward or send it back to Amazon. You may want to contact Amazon in case there was a mixup, and you didn’t receive your order.

If you want to know more about what to do if you get someone else’s Amazon package, keep reading!

Why Did Amazon Deliver Someone Else’s Package?

While Amazon has a strong delivery record, sometimes mistakes happen, and you may wind up with someone else’s package.

Delivery drivers are hard at work trying to deliver hundreds of packages on their route, and human error may occasionally result in mistaken delivery.

The wrong delivery could also be the result of a technical error at Amazon fulfillment centers.

If the wrong label was assigned to the box, a package that’s not yours could end up on your doorstep anyway.

While these mistakes are rare, they may happen to you sometimes, whether through Amazon or another retailer.

Can Amazon Correct Wrong Orders?

Amazon’s commitment to stellar customer service means the company will do whatever it can to correct wrong orders.

Every situation is different, and you may have a sneaky suspicion of what’s happened based on your Amazon activity.

If you recently placed an order with Amazon and it hasn’t arrived, although someone else’s order did, then it’s best to contact Amazon about the mixup.

You should also check your Amazon history to ensure you didn’t accidentally order something, particularly if your name and address were on the shipping label.

This is especially true if you have young kids or a partner who may have ordered something without your knowledge.

You can contact Amazon through your account to report the problem and get it rectified as soon as possible.

If you were mistakenly charged for an item you didn’t want, Amazon should send you a pre-paid shipping label. Amazon covers the cost of the return.

Do You Need To Tell Amazon You Got The Wrong Order?

Do You Need To Tell Amazon You Got The Wrong Order?

They may never know if you don’t tell Amazon about the error. According to FTC guidelines, you are not legally required to tell Amazon because the mixup was not your fault.

Even so, many shoppers want to inform Amazon for a few reasons, such as to figure out the problem or to let them know so it can be prevented in the future.

If the shipping label did not have your info, you could try dropping the package off, so long as the address is nearby.

Otherwise, you can go to the local post office and explain the situation or contact Amazon to let them know you think you have someone else’s package.

Are You Required To Resend Someone Else’s Amazon Package?

The FTC says you are not responsible for the onward delivery or resending of a package mistakenly delivered by a retailer.

That means you can technically score a freebie after Amazon’s mistake, although not everyone feels comfortable with this or wants the items.

Many shoppers prefer to send the package back because they’d want someone else to do the same if their order was delivered incorrectly.

This is especially true if your package is missing somewhere, and you want to get the items you ordered sooner rather than later.

Could Mistaken Amazon Orders Be A Scam?

With over five million sellers on Amazon Marketplace, scams are an unfortunate reality sometimes.

There are a few cases of third-party sellers sending items from overseas to customers in the U.S.

They do this in the hopes that you will like the item and leave a positive review to boost their standing on Amazon.

This is relatively rare, although it does go against Amazon policy and you may want to warn them, just in case.

Plus, you wouldn’t know where the seller got your information from. If the package does not have an official “Fulfilled by Amazon” label and doesn’t come in an Amazon box, it could be from a Marketplace seller.

You can always contact Amazon just to be safe.

If you want to know more about shopping at Amazon, you might also be interested in reading up on how to return an Amazon gift without the giver knowing, what does Amazon does with returns, and how to get a receipt from Amazon.

Conclusion

If you arrive home to an Amazon package at your door that’s not yours, you may wonder what you’re supposed to do with it.

According to the FTC, you are not obligated to resend the package to either the intended recipient or Amazon, so technically you could keep the order.

However, the person who originally ordered the package is likely to appreciate your help tracking it down, although they may have already contacted Amazon to resend it. It’s really up to you and what you’re most comfortable with.

Just keep in mind that if you did order something off Amazon, but the wrong item arrived, you should contact the retailer to ensure the correct item gets sent to you.

You should also check your order history to ensure you weren’t mistakenly charged for the item.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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