I'll never have to buy AA batteries again!!!

E-man · 04-07-2018, 02:05 PM - **1 Like**

Okay, this is almost the stuff of urban legend. The other night, I ordered an 8-pack of Amazon Basics pre-charged, low self-discharge rechargeable AA cells (black label 1,900 mAh, equivalent to white label Eneloops). The package just arrived a few minutes ago and it was much larger--and heavier--than expected. When I lifted it off the front stoop, I thought they must have sent me a lawnmower battery by mistake. Well yeah, they made a mistake alright but it was a mistake in my favor. Imagine my surprise when I opened up the box and discovered they had indeed sent me the rechargeable AA batteries I'd ordered. The only thing is they sent me a WHOLE CARTON of them--twenty 8-packs in all. That's 160 batteries for the price of eight or $240 worth of batteries for $14 (8.75 cents per battery). Needless to say, I double-checked my order online and they had indeed charged me for just one 8-pack so Amazon's loss is my gain! I don't think their stock price will suffer too much.

**BigMackCam** · 04-07-2018, 03:13 PM - **4 Likes**

That's great, but... In the spirit of honesty, wouldn't it be best to let them know of their mistake? They may decide to let you keep the items you haven't paid for, or they might provide pre-paid return shipping for them... Either way, it seems like the right thing to do would be to notify them. Just my opinion, of course. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable keeping them without the supplier's knowledge and agreement

EDIT:

The technicalities are mentioned here: https://lifehacker.com/5969021/what-should-i-do-when-a-company-makes-a-mistake-in-my-favor

The ethics and morals are down to the individual, though...

vonBaloney · 04-07-2018, 03:55 PM

I've had that happen (but not to that degree) a couple of times. Usually it seems like I got someone else's similar (but larger) order, and I can only assume they got mine. Was there paperwork in the box for your order?

richandfleur · 04-07-2018, 05:45 PM

How were the batteries?
Can you send a link to the models you bought please?

SSGGeezer · 04-07-2018, 06:00 PM

Originally posted by BigMackCam

That's great, but... In the spirit of honesty, wouldn't it be best to let them know of their mistake? They may decide to let you keep the items you haven't paid for, or they might provide pre-paid return shipping for them... Either way, it seems like the right thing to do would be to notify them. Just my opinion, of course. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable keeping them without the supplier's knowledge and agreement

EDIT:

The technicalities are mentioned here: storybreak stars<\/title><path d="M5.146 9.01l-.19-3.623 3.057 1.985.693-1.197-3.213-1.67 3.213-1.638-.693-1.197-3.056 1.953L5.147 0H3.76l.158 3.623L.893 1.67.2 2.867l3.214 1.638L.2 6.175l.693 1.197 3.025-1.985L3.76 9.01m21.386 0l-.19-3.623 3.057 1.9

The ethics and morals are down to the individual, though...

Nothing about ethics actually applies in this case Mike, US postal regulations say anything mailed to your house that you did not order, whether part of another purchase or not, belongs to you and you don't have to do a thing.
I might let amazon know but I certainly wouldn't send them back unless they threatened to cancel my Prime account. Need the monthly free Kindle books and the Amazon TV for SWMBO.

**BigMackCam** · 04-07-2018, 06:08 PM

Originally posted by SSGGeezer

Nothing about ethics actually applies in this case Mike, US postal regulations say anything mailed to your house that you did not order, whether part of another purchase or not, belongs to you and you don't have to do a thing.
I might let amazon know but I certainly wouldn't send them back unless they threatened to cancel my Prime account. Need the monthly free Kindle books and the Amazon TV for SWMBO.

Respectfully, I disagree re the ethics...

Amazon made the mistake, for sure. Legally, unless it asks for the items back, the OP is under no obligation to return or pay for them.

Morally and ethically, though, my own personal beliefs would prompt me to inform the supplier of a mistake which leaves them worse off, whether they be an individual, a mom-and-pop store or a big faceless retailer such as Amazon. Someone, at some point in the supply chain (potentially an individual employee, even), is worse off as a result of the mistake...

But, as I said previously, that's just me. I guess we're all different...

EDIT: I've been given too much change in shops and restaurants before now. I've always felt obliged to hand it back

**monochrome** · 04-07-2018, 06:20 PM - **5 Likes**

This kind of question is always answered by an internal monologue between me and the mirror.

E-man · 04-07-2018, 06:39 PM

Here's the link to the batteries: https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00CWNMV4G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?tag=p...&ie=UTF8&psc=1
I haven't tried these yet but I've had very good results from the 2,400 mAh high capacity (gray label) ones. The black label ones were $5 cheaper so I thought I'd give them a try.

There was no packing slip in the shipping box. The carton containing the twenty packages of batteries was unopened. I figure the picker was in a hurry and grabbed the unopened carton without realizing it wasn't an individual item. That could be an easy mistake to make if there were only unopened cartons on the shelf. I hear Amazon's Warehouse workers are put under incredible pressure to work fill orders at a breakneck pace. I've checked and rechecked my order on their Web site and it shows that I purchased and was billed for just one eight-pack.

That said, I've long been aware of the federal regulation regarding unordered merchandise being considered an unsolicited free gift but I also recognize there's sometimes a significant difference between what's legal and what's right. About a year and a half ago, I changed cell phone carriers and part of the promo was an account credit equal to a month's free service. After being billed for zero dollars for four straight months, I called them up and explained the situation. Once they rectified it, I began being billed normally going forward but they didn't bill me retroactively for the free months I got by mistake.

SSGGeezer · 04-07-2018, 07:33 PM

Originally posted by BigMackCam

EDIT: I've been given too much change in shops and restaurants before now. I've always felt obliged to hand it back

Happened twice in the last week and I have always given them back the correct amount, I am afraid that many of the younger folks these days rely on their electronic devices and never learned how to count change back correctly. Or maybe it is the new math that screws up making change.

vonBaloney · 04-07-2018, 09:22 PM

I will always give it back to a small retailer/individual or in a too much change type of situation. With Amazon, no way I'm sending the batteries back (not without some compensation just for the hassle at the very least) but I might alert them to the error. (And certainly they've screwed me over a few times too -- sometimes accidents are the only justice you can get.) And as far as getting a worker in trouble, are they more or less likely to get in trouble if you alert them or not? I have no idea, or if it makes no difference. That would actually be the main thing that might STOP me from telling them -- that some warehouse worker is going to get in trouble for it because I brought it to their attention. (Slim but real possibility.) Of course it could actually be a robot or programming error -- they do much of the picking. Anyway, I certainly would hold no negative judgements towards anybody else no matter what they decided to do about it, and wouldn't regard keeping the merch as stealing in any form.

DeadJohn · 04-07-2018, 11:47 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by SSGGeezer

Nothing about ethics actually applies in this case Mike, US postal regulations say anything mailed to your house that you did not order, whether part of another purchase or not, belongs to you and you don't have to do a thing.
I might let amazon know but I certainly wouldn't send them back unless they threatened to cancel my Prime account. Need the monthly free Kindle books and the Amazon TV for SWMBO.

A decision can be legal yet unethical. Just because you *can* keep something doesn't mean it is ethical.

To the OP, I suggest contacting Amazon. They might let you keep it. If not, they should provide a prepaid label to send it back, and pick it up from your house. If they make it difficult for you to help them, though, then keep the item.

E-man · 04-08-2018, 06:51 AM

If I do keep the batteries, one thing I will not be doing is trying to profit monetarily from their mistake by trying to sell any of them. I'd just keep what I can reasonably use and pass the rest along to family and friends. I did open one pack of batteries last night and put four of them in my K200. The battery indicator showed them to be fully charged as advertised. I've had no opportunity yet to do any testing beyond that.

04-07-2018, 02:05 PM - 1 Like	#1
E-man Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 678	I'll never have to buy AA batteries again!!! Okay, this is almost the stuff of urban legend. The other night, I ordered an 8-pack of Amazon Basics pre-charged, low self-discharge rechargeable AA cells (black label 1,900 mAh, equivalent to white label Eneloops). The package just arrived a few minutes ago and it was much larger--and heavier--than expected. When I lifted it off the front stoop, I thought they must have sent me a lawnmower battery by mistake. Well yeah, they made a mistake alright but it was a mistake in my favor. Imagine my surprise when I opened up the box and discovered they had indeed sent me the rechargeable AA batteries I'd ordered. The only thing is they sent me a WHOLE CARTON of them--twenty 8-packs in all. That's 160 batteries for the price of eight or $240 worth of batteries for $14 (8.75 cents per battery). Needless to say, I double-checked my order online and they had indeed charged me for just one 8-pack so Amazon's loss is my gain! I don't think their stock price will suffer too much.

04-07-2018, 03:13 PM - 4 Likes	#2
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,673	That's great, but... In the spirit of honesty, wouldn't it be best to let them know of their mistake? They may decide to let you keep the items you haven't paid for, or they might provide pre-paid return shipping for them... Either way, it seems like the right thing to do would be to notify them. Just my opinion, of course. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable keeping them without the supplier's knowledge and agreement EDIT: The technicalities are mentioned here: https://lifehacker.com/5969021/what-should-i-do-when-a-company-makes-a-mistake-in-my-favor The ethics and morals are down to the individual, though... Last edited by BigMackCam; 04-07-2018 at 03:34 PM.

04-07-2018, 06:08 PM	#6
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,673	Originally posted by SSGGeezer Nothing about ethics actually applies in this case Mike, US postal regulations say anything mailed to your house that you did not order, whether part of another purchase or not, belongs to you and you don't have to do a thing. I might let amazon know but I certainly wouldn't send them back unless they threatened to cancel my Prime account. Need the monthly free Kindle books and the Amazon TV for SWMBO. Respectfully, I disagree re the ethics... Amazon made the mistake, for sure. Legally, unless it asks for the items back, the OP is under no obligation to return or pay for them. Morally and ethically, though, my own personal beliefs would prompt me to inform the supplier of a mistake which leaves them worse off, whether they be an individual, a mom-and-pop store or a big faceless retailer such as Amazon. Someone, at some point in the supply chain (potentially an individual employee, even), is worse off as a result of the mistake... But, as I said previously, that's just me. I guess we're all different... EDIT: I've been given too much change in shops and restaurants before now. I've always felt obliged to hand it back Last edited by BigMackCam; 04-07-2018 at 06:28 PM.

04-07-2018, 06:39 PM	#8
E-man Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 678 Original Poster	Here's the link to the batteries: https://amazon.com/gp/product/B00CWNMV4G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?tag=p...&ie=UTF8&psc=1 I haven't tried these yet but I've had very good results from the 2,400 mAh high capacity (gray label) ones. The black label ones were $5 cheaper so I thought I'd give them a try. There was no packing slip in the shipping box. The carton containing the twenty packages of batteries was unopened. I figure the picker was in a hurry and grabbed the unopened carton without realizing it wasn't an individual item. That could be an easy mistake to make if there were only unopened cartons on the shelf. I hear Amazon's Warehouse workers are put under incredible pressure to work fill orders at a breakneck pace. I've checked and rechecked my order on their Web site and it shows that I purchased and was billed for just one eight-pack. That said, I've long been aware of the federal regulation regarding unordered merchandise being considered an unsolicited free gift but I also recognize there's sometimes a significant difference between what's legal and what's right. About a year and a half ago, I changed cell phone carriers and part of the promo was an account credit equal to a month's free service. After being billed for zero dollars for four straight months, I called them up and explained the situation. Once they rectified it, I began being billed normally going forward but they didn't bill me retroactively for the free months I got by mistake. Last edited by MarkJerling; 04-07-2018 at 07:05 PM. Reason: Broken link fixed.

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04-07-2018, 03:55 PM	#3
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	I've had that happen (but not to that degree) a couple of times. Usually it seems like I got someone else's similar (but larger) order, and I can only assume they got mine. Was there paperwork in the box for your order?

04-07-2018, 05:45 PM	#4
richandfleur Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand Photos: Albums Posts: 1,788	How were the batteries? Can you send a link to the models you bought please?

04-07-2018, 06:00 PM	#5
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Originally posted by BigMackCam That's great, but... In the spirit of honesty, wouldn't it be best to let them know of their mistake? They may decide to let you keep the items you haven't paid for, or they might provide pre-paid return shipping for them... Either way, it seems like the right thing to do would be to notify them. Just my opinion, of course. Personally, I wouldn't be comfortable keeping them without the supplier's knowledge and agreement EDIT: The technicalities are mentioned here: storybreak stars<\/title><path d="M5.146 9.01l-.19-3.623 3.057 1.985.693-1.197-3.213-1.67 3.213-1.638-.693-1.197-3.056 1.953L5.147 0H3.76l.158 3.623L.893 1.67.2 2.867l3.214 1.638L.2 6.175l.693 1.197 3.025-1.985L3.76 9.01m21.386 0l-.19-3.623 3.057 1.9 The ethics and morals are down to the individual, though... Nothing about ethics actually applies in this case Mike, US postal regulations say anything mailed to your house that you did not order, whether part of another purchase or not, belongs to you and you don't have to do a thing. I might let amazon know but I certainly wouldn't send them back unless they threatened to cancel my Prime account. Need the monthly free Kindle books and the Amazon TV for SWMBO.

04-07-2018, 06:20 PM - 5 Likes	#7
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	This kind of question is always answered by an internal monologue between me and the mirror.

04-07-2018, 07:33 PM	#9
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Originally posted by BigMackCam EDIT: I've been given too much change in shops and restaurants before now. I've always felt obliged to hand it back Happened twice in the last week and I have always given them back the correct amount, I am afraid that many of the younger folks these days rely on their electronic devices and never learned how to count change back correctly. Or maybe it is the new math that screws up making change.

04-07-2018, 09:22 PM	#10
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	I will always give it back to a small retailer/individual or in a too much change type of situation. With Amazon, no way I'm sending the batteries back (not without some compensation just for the hassle at the very least) but I might alert them to the error. (And certainly they've screwed me over a few times too -- sometimes accidents are the only justice you can get.) And as far as getting a worker in trouble, are they more or less likely to get in trouble if you alert them or not? I have no idea, or if it makes no difference. That would actually be the main thing that might STOP me from telling them -- that some warehouse worker is going to get in trouble for it because I brought it to their attention. (Slim but real possibility.) Of course it could actually be a robot or programming error -- they do much of the picking. Anyway, I certainly would hold no negative judgements towards anybody else no matter what they decided to do about it, and wouldn't regard keeping the merch as stealing in any form.

04-07-2018, 11:47 PM - 1 Like	#11
DeadJohn Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: New York Posts: 4,834	Originally posted by SSGGeezer Nothing about ethics actually applies in this case Mike, US postal regulations say anything mailed to your house that you did not order, whether part of another purchase or not, belongs to you and you don't have to do a thing. I might let amazon know but I certainly wouldn't send them back unless they threatened to cancel my Prime account. Need the monthly free Kindle books and the Amazon TV for SWMBO. A decision can be legal yet unethical. Just because you can keep something doesn't mean it is ethical. To the OP, I suggest contacting Amazon. They might let you keep it. If not, they should provide a prepaid label to send it back, and pick it up from your house. If they make it difficult for you to help them, though, then keep the item.

04-08-2018, 06:51 AM	#12
E-man Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 678 Original Poster	If I do keep the batteries, one thing I will not be doing is trying to profit monetarily from their mistake by trying to sell any of them. I'd just keep what I can reasonably use and pass the rest along to family and friends. I did open one pack of batteries last night and put four of them in my K200. The battery indicator showed them to be fully charged as advertised. I've had no opportunity yet to do any testing beyond that.