I'm Bloody Livid: Amazon Refuse to Sell Me a Set of Kitchen Knives.

[mawnansmiff]

I've been buying stuff from Amazon for well over twenty years and over those years I've spent thousands of pounds on electrical items, clothing, books, DVD/CDs, computers, bulk foodstuffs and a whole load of booze.

But at the weekend, after much research, I opted to buy myself a new set of kitchen knives but when I clicked to pay a new window popped up asking me to verify my date of birth & my address. I filled in the form thinking how daft, they already know all this but whatever, I did as asked. Only then up popped a message in red type saying I couldn't be verified at that time and to try again later. This I did over 2 days but every time I got the same message.

So on Monday I rang Amazon to ask what was wrong only to find myself talking to a Pilipino guy with a poor grasp of English. After spending 5 minutes saying the same thing to him over & over and getting nowhere I hung up. Ten minutes later I rang again and got a guy whose English was nigh on perfect and I went on to tell him of my issue.

Long story short, apparently my name/DOB doesn't tally with a Dublin based company called Experian who by all accounts hold personal data on everyone (or so I'm led to believe) and simply because they have no data on me, my desire to purchase a set of kitchen knives was denied.

Following the chat with the Amazon guy I got an e-mail from them explaining things and below are the important bits....

A minority of eligible customers may not be able to pass online verification as we are reliant on matching the entered details with Experian's databases, if these are not matched, verification will fail.

There is a higher chance that late teens (18s/19s/20s) or elderly customers (without coverage in common credit databases) may be unable to pass verification.

We apologise for this experience.

So basically, because I've never applied for credit anywhere in their eyes I don't exist as I'm not on their database.

This whole thing really sickens me, apart from the nuisance of not being able to buy the knives there is a company out there (who up until now I was totally ignorant of) who can make decisions on my behalf without having to explain themselves. That to me is very creepy.

Yesterday I had a brilliant idea, I asked my pal if he could order them on my behalf but he says he doesn't have an Amazon account so I guess I'm stuck with my old knives. To say I'm annoyed with Amazon would be a massive understatement!

Jay.

 

[Briar Lee]

I've been buying stuff from Amazon for well over twenty years and over those years I've spent thousands of pounds on electrical items, clothing, books, DVD/CDs, computers, bulk foodstuffs and a whole load of booze.

But at the weekend, after much research, I opted to buy myself a new set of kitchen knives but when I clicked to pay a new window popped up asking me to verify my date of birth & my address. I filled in the form thinking how daft, they already know all this but whatever, I did as asked. Only then up popped a message in red type saying I couldn't be verified at that time and to try again later. This I did over 2 days but every time I got the same message.

So on Monday I rang Amazon to ask what was wrong only to find myself talking to a Pilipino guy with a poor grasp of English. After spending 5 minutes saying the same thing to him over & over and getting nowhere I hung up. Ten minutes later I rang again and got a guy whose English was nigh on perfect and I went on to tell him of my issue.

Long story short, apparently my name/DOB doesn't tally with a Dublin based company called Experian who by all accounts hold personal data on everyone (or so I'm led to believe) and simply because they have no data on me, my desire to purchase a set of kitchen knives was denied.

Following the chat with the Amazon guy I got an e-mail from them explaining things and below are the important bits....

A minority of eligible customers may not be able to pass online verification as we are reliant on matching the entered details with Experian's databases, if these are not matched, verification will fail.

There is a higher chance that late teens (18s/19s/20s) or elderly customers (without coverage in common credit databases) may be unable to pass verification.

We apologise for this experience.

So basically, because I've never applied for credit anywhere in their eyes I don't exist as I'm not on their database.

This whole thing really sickens me, apart from the nuisance of not being able to buy the knives there is a company out there (who up until now I was totally ignorant of) who can make decisions on my behalf without having to explain themselves. That to me is very creepy.

Yesterday I had a brilliant idea, I asked my pal if he could order them on my behalf but he says he doesn't have an Amazon account so I guess I'm stuck with my old knives. To say I'm annoyed with Amazon would be a massive understatement!

Jay.

I was a lawyer, 26 years old, and was unable to rent a hotel room for cash in Tulsa Oklahoma in 1984. My client used his credit card or I guess I’d have spent the night in my car.

Today at Hardee’s a sign read “Plastic or Exact Cash Only”. I had plastic, or I’d have went hungry.

This is how poor people who do not have a credit rating get treated all over the modern world.

In the USA our money reads it’s good for all debts, public and private.

Taint always so.

 

[jaingorenard]

Crazy situation. I recently tried to open a new joint bank account with my partner, and they refused her. The email said something like 'you can't open an account, we won't tell you why, and we won't change our decision'. Basically, don't bother getting in contact with us because we can't be bothered to resolve the situation if computer says 'no'.

 

[MattRVA]

On the bright side: you’ve managed to fly under the radar, that’s my entire goal in life! seriously though, I’m truly sorry for your troubles. In a world where a grown man can’t buy a set of knives… sheesh.

 

[AJL67]

I think it’s hilarious you have age verification to buy knives, i suppose it has something to do with knife attacks maybe? Remember knives don’t kill people, people with credit cards do!

 

[PaulRVA]

Almost like your ready to stab someone now isn’t that ironic ???
Kinda like I just need some kitchen knives to do some prep work and I was all excited and happy about it.
I wouldn’t have used them for anything else but now after the aggravation Im second guessing their usefulness in the kitchen and thinking they would serve a better purpose at your companys office.

 

[captpat]

Is this some new requirement? After all, they've been happy to take your money for the last 20 years.

Experian is one of the big 3 credit monitoring companies we encounter here in the US. Besides providing a credit score to prospective lenders they can also help to resolve/prevent identity theft. One can also obtain their current credit report for free (at least here in the US), there are procedures to challenge that info as well. Establishing an account costs nothing and you can see what's in their databases.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I'm sorry for your issue. That sucks.

Get this... I just remodeled our kitchen, and my wife goes to Lowes and buys a new dishwasher. She happens to pick one out that they don't have in stock. So, they had to order it. Meanwhile she goes to our mountain cabin to visit family and leaves me with the paperwork that she has to submit to pick up the dishwasher when it arrives.
It arrives, so I go to pick it up. They find the dishwasher and bring it up to the front to help me load it. The Lowes Customer Service manager comes running out of her office shouting not to let me have it. I am baffled, so I just stand there dumbfounded. She asks to see my drivers license. Now, my wife has a different last name than me, because she is from Blue Ridge royalty, and they say that I can't prove that I am her husband. They told me that I had to get her to put on her Lowes account that I am the one who is picking it up. No one has mentioned this to us at all. And she is in a cellphone dead zone in the mountains. I set out in my truck calling her family to go tell her to get on her phone and add me as the one to pick up the damned dishwasher.

Someone drags her off the mountain so we can talk, and there is nowhere on the Lowes app to add someone as designated pick up person. She calls Lowes, and there isn't an option for that in the app.

I go back into the store and tell the CS manager this, and she is all stone faced bitch looking and says, sorry, but you could just be a scammer. And, I'm like, "yeh, so I knocked a woman out, took her purse and grabbed a Lowes receipt and paperwork to steal a damned dishwasher, does that sound likely?" Meanwhile, I notice all of these signs about, "do not cuss or be mean to their customer service," so I tone down the sarcasm. But, I am livid. I get my wife on the phone and tell her that I will just go buy a dishwasher somewhere else. I am begging her, "please let me go somewhere else. I hate these people."

Now get this... The woman (hearing me tell my wife all of this) says, "I can refund you the money right here, right now."
I was like, "really?"
She says, "sure." And, she places fucking cash in my hands.
I just smiled big, and said, "Thank you, that is so awesome of you, could I tell your manager what great service you guys have?" And, the manger of the store comes out of his little hut up front.
I explained to him how his CS manager wouldn't let me take the dishwasher, because I might be a scammer with all of the proper paperwork to pick up this thing right here, ready top be loaded, but instead of making money for your store and letting me have the dishwasher, she gave me fucking cash."
He looked stupefied, but I really could care less after I walked out of that store. .

I just smiled and drove off to Mayers Appliances and bought the same damned dishwasher for less and with no hassle. The fucking people in this world are so damned stupid.

 

[pappymac]

I was a lawyer, 26 years old, and was unable to rent a hotel room for cash in Tulsa Oklahoma in 1984. My client used his credit card or I guess I’d have spent the night in my car.

Today at Hardee’s a sign read “Plastic or Exact Cash Only”. I had plastic, or I’d have went hungry.

This is how poor people who do not have a credit rating get treated all over the modern world.

In the USA our money reads it’s good for all debts, public and private.

Taint always so.

That reminds me of the time I was traveling on military orders which required me to get to a location and remain overnight at a local hotel. The first hotel I tried, the desk clerk wouldn't allow me to check-in because I was under the age of 26. She refused even when I showed her that I was traveling under orders.

Went down the road to another hotel and got a room with no problem. When I got back to my office, I reported the problem to my boss. He apparently took the issue up with our legal office. Two weeks later our office gets a letter from the hotel apologizing for the problem stating that the employee misinterpreted a policy of not allowing college aged people from staying at the hotel during spring break.

It was really a weird situation.

 

[Briar Lee]

I'm sorry for your issue. That sucks.

Get this... I just remodeled our kitchen, and my wife goes to Lowes and buys a new dishwasher. She happens to pick one out that they don't have in stock. So, they had to order it. Meanwhile she goes to our mountain cabin to visit family and leaves me with the paperwork that she has to submit to pick up the dishwasher when it arrives.
It arrives, so I go to pick it up. They find the dishwasher and bring it up to the front to help me load it. The Lowes Customer Service manager comes running out of her office shouting not to let me have it. I am baffled, so I just stand there dumbfounded. She asks to see my drivers license. Now, my wife has a different last name than me, because she is from Blue Ridge royalty, and they say that I can't prove that I am her husband. They told me that I had to get her to put on her Lowes account that I am the one who is picking it up. No one has mentioned this to us at all. And she is in a cellphone dead zone in the mountains. I set out in my truck calling her family to go tell her to get on her phone and add me as the one to pick up the damned dishwasher.

Someone drags her off the mountain so we can talk, and there is nowhere on the Lowes app to add someone as designated pick up person. She calls Lowes, and there isn't an option for that in the app.

I go back into the store and tell the CS manager this, and she is all stone faced bitch looking and says, sorry, but you could just be a scammer. And, I'm like, "yeh, so I knocked a woman out, took her purse and grabbed a Lowes receipt and paperwork to steal a damned dishwasher, does that sound likely?" Meanwhile, I notice all of these signs about, "do not cuss or be mean to their customer service," so I tone down the sarcasm. But, I am livid. I get my wife on the phone and tell her that I will just go buy a dishwasher somewhere else. I am begging her, "please let me go somewhere else. I hate these people."

Now get this... The woman (hearing me tell my wife all of this) says, "I can refund you the money right here, right now."
I was like, "really?"
She says, "sure." And, she places fucking cash in my hands.
I just smiled big, and said, "Thank you, that is so awesome of you, could I tell your manager what great service you guys have?" And, the manger of the store comes out of his little hut up front.
I explained to him how his CS manager wouldn't let me take the dishwasher, because I might be a scammer with all of the proper paperwork to pick up this thing right here, ready top be loaded, but instead of making money for your store and letting me have the dishwasher, she gave me fucking cash."
He looked stupefied, but I really could care less after I walked out of that store. .

I just smiled and drove off to Mayers Appliances and bought the same damned dishwasher for less and with no hassle. The fucking people in this world are so damned stupid.

Small minds are sometimes given authority.

When I was city prosecutor forty some years ago, one of the city policemen woke me up about 3 am to have me go to the city jail.

He had stopped a Kansas van for expired tags, and the lady driving it had an expired Kansas license.

She was in a wheelchair and had a portable breathing machine because of muscular dystrophy. The van was equipped for her wheelchair and had column mounted controls.

I took him aside and said you have lots of options here but one is not going to be putting a woman dying of muscular dystrophy in jail. I will dismiss the charge. Gaawwdd Dammitt.

He explained to me the proper procedure was the municipal judge could approve a fine she could pay. We woke up the judge, who was grouchy and set the fine at $500.

This embarrassed me, but I told the lady and she asked if I’d take her check. Of course we would. She left. I told her if the check wasn’t good, then she should remain in Kansas.

Yes, the check bounced.

A few months later, the same officer stopped her again.

This time she had up to date license and tags, and the problem was the bad $500 check.

I said to her, why in the world did you drive through our town again, and she cried and said to visit her sister.

I called her sister and she came with $500 cash.

If I could live my life over, I’d have torn up the first ticket on the spot.

That lady no doubt died owing her sister $500, and I could have prevented it.

 

[Sigmund]

 

[AJL67]

I'm sorry for your issue. That sucks.

Get this... I just remodeled our kitchen, and my wife goes to Lowes and buys a new dishwasher. She happens to pick one out that they don't have in stock. So, they had to order it. Meanwhile she goes to our mountain cabin to visit family and leaves me with the paperwork that she has to submit to pick up the dishwasher when it arrives.
It arrives, so I go to pick it up. They find the dishwasher and bring it up to the front to help me load it. The Lowes Customer Service manager comes running out of her office shouting not to let me have it. I am baffled, so I just stand there dumbfounded. She asks to see my drivers license. Now, my wife has a different last name than me, because she is from Blue Ridge royalty, and they say that I can't prove that I am her husband. They told me that I had to get her to put on her Lowes account that I am the one who is picking it up. No one has mentioned this to us at all. And she is in a cellphone dead zone in the mountains. I set out in my truck calling her family to go tell her to get on her phone and add me as the one to pick up the damned dishwasher.

Someone drags her off the mountain so we can talk, and there is nowhere on the Lowes app to add someone as designated pick up person. She calls Lowes, and there isn't an option for that in the app.

I go back into the store and tell the CS manager this, and she is all stone faced bitch looking and says, sorry, but you could just be a scammer. And, I'm like, "yeh, so I knocked a woman out, took her purse and grabbed a Lowes receipt and paperwork to steal a damned dishwasher, does that sound likely?" Meanwhile, I notice all of these signs about, "do not cuss or be mean to their customer service," so I tone down the sarcasm. But, I am livid. I get my wife on the phone and tell her that I will just go buy a dishwasher somewhere else. I am begging her, "please let me go somewhere else. I hate these people."

Now get this... The woman (hearing me tell my wife all of this) says, "I can refund you the money right here, right now."
I was like, "really?"
She says, "sure." And, she places fucking cash in my hands.
I just smiled big, and said, "Thank you, that is so awesome of you, could I tell your manager what great service you guys have?" And, the manger of the store comes out of his little hut up front.
I explained to him how his CS manager wouldn't let me take the dishwasher, because I might be a scammer with all of the proper paperwork to pick up this thing right here, ready top be loaded, but instead of making money for your store and letting me have the dishwasher, she gave me fucking cash."
He looked stupefied, but I really could care less after I walked out of that store. .

I just smiled and drove off to Mayers Appliances and bought the same damned dishwasher for less and with no hassle. The fucking people in this world are so damned stupid.

Now have your wife go back to pick up the dishwasher and tell them she has no idea who you are and demand answers why they gave someone not on her account her money!!

 

[PA Piper Mike]

The woman (hearing me tell my wife all of this) says, "I can refund you the money right here, right now."
I was like, "really?"
She says, "sure." And, she places fucking cash in my hands.

After taking the money, best response would have been:

 

[Briar Lee]

Another time when I was city prosecutor the police called me to the county jail.

Missouri has weight inspectors, and a weight cop had stopped a circus truck leaving our town that had a huge elephant in the back. The truck was supposed to have both a buzzer and a light for bad brakes, and it only had a buzzer.

The elephant was making loud elephant sounds, and the driver said, if that elephant really wants out, I can’t stop him.

I told the city policemen I had no authority to dismiss the charge, only the county prosecutor or the judge could set a fine.

Or he could wake up the parts store owner and spend a dollar for a bulb.

I’d pay the dollar.

This was done, and the weight cop gave him a warning, and the elephant rejoined his girlfriend that evening.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

In all fairness, they probably have to deal with UKs crazy laws.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Jay, It would be even crazier if you had to have ID to buy kitchen knives, but they'd sell you a chainsaw with no problem.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

One other thing that I have never understood is when you have to prove your age, the license cannot be expired. We once paid for a wine tasting in North Carolina years ago. It was with some well known sommelier, and we drove all the way up there, got a place to stay, and went to the winery, which wouldn't let my wife in because her DL had expired. Now, you're age does not change just because your license has expired. She wasn't driving. And, we were obviously very old people, ha ha. I think that they let the stupidest people make the rules.

 

[mawnansmiff]

About 8 months ago I arranged a deal to buy two antique Indian made bowie knives from a registered military arms dealer for £640. The deal went swimmingly right up to the point where the guy wanted confirmation I was indeed over 18.

We had spoken over the phone for some length about historic knives and assumed that would suffice but no, he wanted to see some photo ID. My passport ran out years ago and my driving licence is also out of date since I gave up driving.

I explained all this to him but that was that.....no deal.

What a bumhole.

A few weeks later I bought 2 swords & 4 bayonets from 2 other military dealers with no problems at all.

Jay.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A few weeks later I bought 2 swords & 4 bayonets from 2 other military dealers with no problems at all.

Well, why do you need kitchen knives? Sounds like you could be cooking up a storm with a few bayonets, ha ha.

 

[Hillcrest]

the dishwasher

The old 'My wife is in the Blue Ridge Mountains' scam ...