Lost $800 by returning wrong item. Any advice ?

Great answer!!!!

I wouldn't do that because I think it was the problem of the OP and not Adorama.

Kent

pcrc11 said:

Seems like there is a real a simple solution to the problem being they obviously are not checking their return items. Re order the $800 lens and then return it. Then "accidentally" put the $50 adapter in the box and viola,, problem solved,, and everybody ends up even.

Click to expand...

That doesn't work and I know you're probably joking here (I hope at least) but in that case, they may refuse to refund anything.

I think the OP should give them another week and then follow up. Being that this is Adorama and not some huge company like Amazon with warehouses everywhere, it shouldn't take more than a few weeks to find it, providing it wasn't "discarded" or accidentally resold to someone.

KENTGA said:

You know, I've responded to this before and have a couple of comments:

1. I really feel bad for the OP but also think Adorama is "not at fault" for this because of the OP's error. $50 to them for a return is a drop in the bucket and I doubt they even looked at the return or matched it up.

I have bought from them and will continue to do so but Adorama is not your typical brick and mortar store where they know you when you walk in.

FWIW you can return Amazon purchases to Kohl's or Whole Foods with no issues. Believe me, our daughter does this a lot.

Kent

Click to expand...

As I previously mentioned in another reply in this thread, I work in a huge distribution center. It has happened that the physically returned item didn't match the expected SKU stated on the returns allowance voucher. The wrong item was put back to stock under the wrong SKU, and so is identified incorrectly. The next time that item comes up for shipping, the picker unknowingly ships the wrong item (he/she is only looking at a 13 digit item number not a description.

So I wouldn't be surprised if some lucky winner ordered an adaptor and received an $800 lens, and is speachless and happy.

KENTGA said:

You know, I've responded to this before and have a couple of comments:

1. I really feel bad for the OP but also think Adorama is "not at fault" for this because of the OP's error. $50 to them for a return is a drop in the bucket and I doubt they even looked at the return or matched it up.

I have bought from them and will continue to do so but Adorama is not your typical brick and mortar store where they know you when you walk in.

FWIW you can return Amazon purchases to Kohl's or Whole Foods with no issues. Believe me, our daughter does this a lot.

Kent

Click to expand...

I don't know that the last part is really relevant here to be honest. I do the same thing, but then again it's not Kohl's responsibility to check that the user returned all of the items, or even the correct item. They just scan a tag and put the box on a counter/cart for the Amazon driver to pick up. I haven't sent back the wrong thing to them but I have watched them process returns for others and they simply scan the barcode, take the box, tape it up if needed, and move on to the next person.

I think for the first one, even if it's only $50 they will still check, because what happens if someone returns a rock versus an adapter. Do you think someone is going to get $50 back for a rock? (This reminds me of the stories about people returning Playstations only for companies like WalMart to find out someone put a few rocks in the box and returned the box). And if that is the case, then that's Adorama's problem. Yes I agree that some things are probably not of much concern to them ($50) but I know with B&H at least, once I forgot to include a lens cloth (cloth pouch) with a lens I returned and they called me to ask if I had it and said if I didn't, they would deduct $50 off the refund. It was a $150 lens.

akbc said:

It reminds me back in old days when you were mailing checks to pay your bill before paying online. I got the checks for the phone company and utility company mixed up. it was interesting that even the checks were written to a different company they both were able to cash and clear it. So one check is less than the other so I had an overpay on one and underpay on the other one. The overpay one has a credit for the next month and I went down to the utility company office to pay the difference since they received the wrong check with the lesser amount.

It is my fault that I got the checks mixed up but it makes me wonder how each of them were able to cash and cleared a check not written to them and how little attention their staff pay attention to what they are doing.

Click to expand...

back in the day, my wife would give me the bills after writing a check. between the two of us, this seemed to cut back on errors. also delaying the actions can be good, just the act of slowing down seems to cut back on errors.

Photato said:

So I was returning a $50 adapter to Adorama but sent a $800 Sigma lens, my mistake.

They got my lens and I got a $50 refund.
Talked to customer service explaining the problem but it has been almost 2 weeks and they have not found the box/item yet.
What are my options ?
Anyone with a similar experience ?

Click to expand...

Stuff happens. I've left an expensive piece of equipment on an overlook somewhere in Yosemite. I've gone snorkeling in Mexico and washed out my last pair of contact lenses. I've returned two lenses to Amazon after Christmas because they were sold as new and arrived as used and were defective, both gifts. You are not alone and $800 is a lot of money.

Hope the person from Adorama who contacted you is able to track down your lens.

akbc said:

It reminds me back in old days when you were mailing checks to pay your bill before paying online. I got the checks for the phone company and utility company mixed up. it was interesting that even the checks were written to a different company they both were able to cash and clear it. So one check is less than the other so I had an overpay on one and underpay on the other one. The overpay one has a credit for the next month and I went down to the utility company office to pay the difference since they received the wrong check with the lesser amount.

It is my fault that I got the checks mixed up but it makes me wonder how each of them were able to cash and cleared a check not written to them and how little attention their staff pay attention to what they are doing.

Click to expand...

Depending on how long ago that was but I know some processing centers (for some of the utility companies for example) would just use check readers that would read the check info (account number and tracking) from the bottom, and the operator would just key in an account number and an amount and move onto the next one. So it's likely they never really looked at the physical check, and even more, this could have been automated (they feed the payment stub first, followed by the check which the computer reads) and then onto the next one. So it sort of doesn't surprise me that they may not have caught it especailly if they're processing thousands of payments per day (and the bank probably only does a random audit). Of course if you over pay and it's not caught, then that's a problem for the customer.

So Nancy Miller helped me with this issue but Adorama couldn't find my lens.

I wonder if this problem would had happened in B&H though. Do they properly check returned items ?

The moral of the story here is to double check items you are returning.

Photato said:

So Nancy Miller helped me with this issue but Adorama couldn't find my lens.
I wonder if this problem would had happened in B&H though. Do they properly check returned items ?
The moral of the story here is to double check items you are returning.

Click to expand...

So are you just out of luck?

Marie

InkedMarie said:

Photato said:

So Nancy Miller helped me with this issue but Adorama couldn't find my lens.
I wonder if this problem would had happened in B&H though. Do they properly check returned items ?
The moral of the story here is to double check items you are returning.

Click to expand...

So are you just out of luck?

Marie

Click to expand...

Yep, out of $800.
Adorama need to fix their return program because I imagine this can happen to anyone.

Photato said:

InkedMarie said:

Photato said:

So Nancy Miller helped me with this issue but Adorama couldn't find my lens.
I wonder if this problem would had happened in B&H though. Do they properly check returned items ?
The moral of the story here is to double check items you are returning.

Click to expand...

So are you just out of luck?

Marie

Click to expand...

Yep, out of $800.
Adorama need to fix their return program because I imagine this can happen to anyone.

Click to expand...

That is just terrible.

Marie

Photato said:

So Nancy Miller helped me with this issue but Adorama couldn't find my lens.
I wonder if this problem would had happened in B&H though. Do they properly check returned items ?
The moral of the story here is to double check items you are returning.

Click to expand...

With hopes that it will eventually turn up somewhere. I would register it stolen with Sigma as well

https://www.stolencamerafinder.com/lostandfound.jsp

https://www.lenstag.com/stolen/

Photato said:

InkedMarie said:

Photato said:

So Nancy Miller helped me with this issue but Adorama couldn't find my lens.
I wonder if this problem would had happened in B&H though. Do they properly check returned items ?
The moral of the story here is to double check items you are returning.

Click to expand...

So are you just out of luck?

Marie

Click to expand...

Yep, out of $800.
Adorama need to fix their return program because I imagine this can happen to anyone.

Click to expand...

sorry. wow, but a reminder to myself to be extremely careful with this type of commerce.

Horshack said:

Photato said:

So Nancy Miller helped me with this issue but Adorama couldn't find my lens.
I wonder if this problem would had happened in B&H though. Do they properly check returned items ?
The moral of the story here is to double check items you are returning.

Click to expand...

With hopes that it will eventually turn up somewhere. I would register it stolen with Sigma as well

https://www.stolencamerafinder.com/lostandfound.jsp

https://www.lenstag.com/stolen/

Click to expand...

Great advice, I'll do.

Thanks !