I know it's April 1, but this is ridiculous. About an hour ago, we heard our doorbell ring. At the front gate there was a delivery truck with the Chronopost logo painted on it. The driver said he had an urgent package for me.
I accepted it, even though I haven't ordered anything, and I would never have asked for overnight or urgent delivery for anything. I brought the package in and opened. It's an Apple iPhone 65 64GB Or. I never ordered any such thing, of course. (Or means gold.)
But who did? On the packing slip, it says somebody paid for the phone using a BNP bank card. I've never had an account or card with BNP, which is the Banque Nationale de Paris. And what was the charge for the phone? Whoever ordered it paid the vendor more than 900 euros (a thousand dollars).
Did anybody reading this send me an extravagant gift?
I have a BNP (Fortis) bank card :)... but I can't afford buying such extravagant gifts ... not even for myself. Unless your generous friend manifests himself, it may be wise to contact the vendor. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI did that, already, Martine. They said they'd send me everything I need in order to return the phone to them. But I still haven't received the e-mail they promised. This is stranger and stranger.
DeleteLa réalité dépasse la fiction!
DeleteLucky you!
ReplyDeleteCHM?
ReplyDeleteI wish I did. But I know it's not the kind of gift Ken would be trirelessly dreaming about. Wait and see what willl come up.
DeleteSo far no e-mail from the vendor (not Amazon) with mailing labels for the product return. And no activity on any of my bank accounts. Mystère et boule de gomme...
DeleteThe vendor should be either Apple Inc or a local carrier in France , isn't it?
DeleteIt is a French company, and one that I have used for computer purchases in the past. I last ordered sometning from the company in August 2015. I can't understand why the customer service department hasn't followed through on my request for labels that I need for the return shipment.
DeleteWow, that's quite a mistake for them to make.
ReplyDeleteWasn't I!
Pity! LOL
DeleteThe company that sent me the camera told me I needed to contact the gendarmerie and file a complaint for usurpation d'identité. I'm reflecting on the whole question. So far, I possess a $1000 iPhone and no charge has showed up on any of my cards or accounts. And no news from the vendor regarding the return of the product.
I meant phone, not camera...
DeleteKeep records of your communication with the vendor, bank, and any others you might be in contact with concerning this. You don't want anyone accusing YOU of hacking someone's account or stealing identity.
ReplyDeleteSo far, my communications with the vendor have been exclusively by telephone. I think the phone bill will show that I called the company's customer service line and stayed on the phone for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. I just want to return the iPhone to them and I of course hope there aren't any more incidents like this that would point to identity theft to my detriment.
Deletehow fun! good on you for getting such a lovely gift!
ReplyDeleteI'd rather have the money than the phone, actually, since I so seldom use a cell phone.
DeleteHmmm, I suspect a sophisticated double bluff April Fool on your part :-))
ReplyDeleteI'm not that smart, Susan. Need an iPhone? I can let it go at a good price.
DeleteSusan, I'm with you on this one...otherwise there would have been some pics of the mystery parcel :) Good one Ken.
DeleteAnd here I was thinking I was the victim, not the perpetrator, of a poisson d'avril. Photos tomorrow.
Deletewow...have to say, it seemed too weird to be true! What strange business! At which point will you stop trying to return it? On the other hand, keep an eye on your accounts for a week or so, sometimes online purchases can take up to that long to clear.
DeleteIt's true that it's weird, and I will definitely keep an eye on things. And yes, charges sometimes take a few days to show up, but the seller already told me that my card number is not the one that was charged in this case.
DeleteThe only time this ever happened to me it was because someone had hacked an online shopping site and was able to place an order on my account using a stored credit card number. Luckily, they screwed up the shipping address and it wound up being sent to me (address on the account) instead of them. It might be a good idea to check your order history if you have online accounts on shopping sites.
ReplyDeleteIn your case, was your account charged, Tom? Mine hasn't been -- at least not yet.
DeleteThe problem here is the phone was bought with a BNP credit card and Ken said he never owned a BNP account. So it cannot be a question of stolen card number or identity theft. The purchase was probably genuine, but the buyer got mixed up with the addressee. Let's hope he/she reads Ken's blog and get aware of the mistake. Can't wait to know what is the next development!
DeleteThe company representative I talked to this morning said it appeared that someone had been able to get into my Espace personnel on the company's web site. He advised me to change my password there, and I have done so. I can't see any stored credit card numbers there. It is mysterious. Why would a person charge 930€ on a credt card for a purchase and then have the merchandise sent to an unsuspecting third party?
DeleteSince you previously have done business with the company that sent the iPhone, it seems the mistake was at their level. Maybe the last few digits on the credit card used to buy the phone closely ressemble those on your card which would explain the confusion?
DeleteStrange tale--I can hardly wait to hear what happens next. And I hope it doesn't create a huge hassle for you.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
DeleteLand's End once sent me a jacket out of the blue. Just doesn't have the same cachet.
DeleteI can't help feeling sorry for the person who was expecting to receive a brand new phone and is 900€ out of pocket, thanks to the incompetence of the shippers!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's some kind of scam. I don't think I would unpack the phone unless someone then demanded payment from me for it.
I had to open the shipping carton, but the phone itself is in a shrink-wrapped box, which I have not opened. Is it a case of hacking or just a big mix-up?
DeleteKen, ring the company up and demand to know why your phone has not been delivered as promised. You should have the order details with the package and the name of the person they sent it to...perhaps someone with the same name as you. Get them to check and read out the address and contact info on the order etc. and with any luck you'll find out who's phone its supposed to be. Failing that write them a short stinky letter telling them you will charge them for storage of the phone until they come and collect it.
ReplyDeleteI phoned the company and was told that the credit card used to pay for the iPhone was not mine -- I read them the first five numbers on my French debit card. How many Broadhursts do you think there are in France? A handful, maybe.
DeleteBroadhurst is such a common name in France, and especially in the Loir-et-Cher, the mistake is perfectly understandable. I'm surprised this didn't happen more often!
DeleteJust now reading this-- maybe you'll get a reward out of this. People that order iPhones can't wait to get them going. Keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteNo sign of any activity on my bank accounts this morning, and still no e-mail re: the return of the surprise iPhone to the seller. I'm just waiting.
DeleteA fun mystery and a nice phone, enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteI am catching up on things ... from a hotel room in Florence, South Carolina ...
Bonne continuation, et bonne route.
Delete