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Couple Orders Storage Bins From Amazon, Receives Marijuana


— October 31, 2017

Couple Orders Storage Bins From Amazon, Receives Marijuana


A Florida couple placed an order on Amazon for 27-gallon plastic storage bins.  However, when the containers arrived, something immediately seemed off.  They opened the heavy packages on their doorstep to find their desired storage containers.  However, that’s not all that was shipped.  They were packed with 65 pounds of marijuana.  The couple immediately contacted the police.

“We love Amazon and do a lot of shopping on Amazon,” the female customer said.  The couple asked not to be identified to maintain their safety.  She added that they immediately noticed the shipment was much heavier than it should have been.  “[The storage bins] were extremely heavy, heavier than you would think from ordering four empty bins,” she explained.  In fact, the weed-packed bins weighed over 65 pounds.

They peeled away the packaging and opened the boxes to be immediately hit with the strong odor of cannabis.  At first, the couple was in shock, but they knew they needed to call law enforcement.  “When the first officer got here, she was in disbelief,” the customer said.  Police seized the drugs from the storage containers and launched an investigation.

Image Courtesy of ABC, Inc.

Over the course of their investigation, it was discovered the shipment came from Amazon’s Warehouse Deals via UPS from a facility in Massachusetts.

“We were still pretty fearful our home would be broken into, and we didn’t sleep there for a few days,” the customer said.  She added that they thought the rightful owner of the drugs would track down the shipment and wind up on their doorstep demanding it back. So, the couple actually stayed away from their residence for a period of time.

They went back and forth with Amazon mostly by email for more than a month trying to get to the bottom of it, but were somehow never able to speak with a supervisor or able to connect with anyone willing to address the situation over the phone.  Eventually, after extended correspondence, they received an email giving them a $150 gift card with the simple message, “I am unable to do anything else at this time.”

The couple claimed they just wanted some sort of an apology and an explanation as to how something like this could possibly happen.  “There was no concern for a customer’s safety. I mean, this could have turned into a worst-case scenario,” the customer explained.  They were disappointed in the way the situation was handled, and are afraid of ordering anything else until the person responsible is in custody.

So far there have been no arrests made, but the Orlando Police Department has confirmed it is still actively looking into it, tracking down any potential leads.  Sgt. Eduardo Bernal, public information officer with the department, said they are currently cooperating with authorities in the state where the bins were shipped and are hopeful to pin down and prosecute their sender.

Amazon sent a statement saying its customer service team worked directly with the customer to address concerns and will work with law enforcement officials in their investigation as needed.  The company did not elaborate on the resolution the homeowners claim it issued.

Sources:

Police investigate after 65 pounds of marijuana arrives with Florida couple’s Amazon order

Couple unexpectedly receives 65 lbs. of marijuana in their Amazon order 

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