Buyers can impersonate Amazon Customer Service
As far as I can tell, a common way that Amazon Customer Service responds to inquiring from buyers is to start (or add to) a message thread between the buyer and the seller. While these messages start with a reasonable, canned intro like, "Dear Amazon Seller, This is Amazon Customer Service. A customer contacted us..."
Here seems to be the problem: There is no non-text indication that this is a message from ACS. Any buyer who sees ACS's message in the thread can simply copy that canned intro, change the order number, and change the enveloped message that claims to be from ACS, then send that modified block of text to a seller in an attempt to convince the seller that the message is really coming from ACS, because the seller cannot tell the difference.
There are probably several ways that Amazon could fix this problem. One is to make a message that is actually from ACS a different color background or different color text in the message thread. Another is just a colored ribbon at the top or colored outline of the text sent by Amazon Customer service that cannot be replicated by the buyer.
We currently have a buyer trying to defraud us with fake images, and I'm pretty confident that after we rejected him the first time, he began impersonating ACS because the wording of the complaint is odd compared to previous ACS messages, and the typical resolved/unresolved battle isn't happening. However, I can't seem to find a way to get anyone with any power to take this problem seriously.
So there are two problems here:
1. ACS messages need some indicator of authenticity that cannot be replicated by a buyer.
2. For this current customer trying to defraud us, we need ACS to either confirm or disconfirm that they are sending the messages in question, because we think that ACS isn't sending them but are (allegedly) in jeopardy of being penalized if we're wrong.
Buyers can impersonate Amazon Customer Service
As far as I can tell, a common way that Amazon Customer Service responds to inquiring from buyers is to start (or add to) a message thread between the buyer and the seller. While these messages start with a reasonable, canned intro like, "Dear Amazon Seller, This is Amazon Customer Service. A customer contacted us..."
Here seems to be the problem: There is no non-text indication that this is a message from ACS. Any buyer who sees ACS's message in the thread can simply copy that canned intro, change the order number, and change the enveloped message that claims to be from ACS, then send that modified block of text to a seller in an attempt to convince the seller that the message is really coming from ACS, because the seller cannot tell the difference.
There are probably several ways that Amazon could fix this problem. One is to make a message that is actually from ACS a different color background or different color text in the message thread. Another is just a colored ribbon at the top or colored outline of the text sent by Amazon Customer service that cannot be replicated by the buyer.
We currently have a buyer trying to defraud us with fake images, and I'm pretty confident that after we rejected him the first time, he began impersonating ACS because the wording of the complaint is odd compared to previous ACS messages, and the typical resolved/unresolved battle isn't happening. However, I can't seem to find a way to get anyone with any power to take this problem seriously.
So there are two problems here:
1. ACS messages need some indicator of authenticity that cannot be replicated by a buyer.
2. For this current customer trying to defraud us, we need ACS to either confirm or disconfirm that they are sending the messages in question, because we think that ACS isn't sending them but are (allegedly) in jeopardy of being penalized if we're wrong.
12 replies
Seller_Hi7wbO2Kbo6bl
Those messages are just Amazon Customer Service passing along a phone message to the seller. They are not supposed to provide support for third part sellers. They are just supposed to pass along the message. They add some to it, and sometimes way overstep their bounds of what they are supposed to add (which is pretty much nothing).
Any reply to that message goes to the buyer.
Seller_BKiMRa98G1c8X
Do NOT expect grammar, punctuation or spelling to be anything close to American English - These are 3rd world, unskilled persons hired to appease buyers by having a 'human' answer at the call center in (mostly) India and if possible give away your money or product to make the buyer happy.
Carefully read and try to comprehend the message. We copy the message back into the reply we send to alert the buyer that WE the 3rd party are replying and Amazon is not going to see the messages/ replies between us.
We had one today where the message passed along was about their buyer wanting to return at Whole Foods and wanted us to assist - REALLY? LOL!
Seller_Hi7wbO2Kbo6bl
When all is said and done -- it does not matter in the slightest is the buyer called Amazon and this message was generated by Amazon or if the buyer went to a great deal of trouble to fool you. Does not matter at all.
If Amazon or the buyer has "instructed" you to do something against policy -- don't do it.
Just follow policy whatever the request. It's an Amazon message no matter the exact origin, and you need to respond. But the response and any actions just follow usual policy.
Seller_Hi7wbO2Kbo6bl
No. If the message came from Amazon -- the answer is No
If the message did not come from Amazon - the answer is No
As I said -- makes no difference.
Xander_Amazon
Exactly right Bookwormapril
Xander_Amazon
Biopharm - please keep a respective dialogue on the seller forums or a warning will be issued.
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
Yes, this does happen.
In the inverse, when CS says "I can relay a message to the seller on your behalf" the clever ones say something like "Refund the buyer within 24 hours to avoid repercussions" or something like that. CS rep just copies and pastes, then it looks like it is entirely Amazon speaking.
