An Amazon customer is out more than $2,000 after he ordered two expensive Garmin watches, and both arrived at his Carver, Massachusetts home with nothing in the box. After a week battling with Amazon, he is still without his cash or the watch.
"It showed up. I opened the box, and I knew it felt light. The pull tab was ripped off, the box was ripped, and was empty," said Eric Lapworth.
He bought the watch as an upgrade to his old one. He has barely taken it off in three years, and the distinct tan line on his arm is an indication of it. He joined the Air Force in 2012 and has worn his watch while on duty in the Middle East. Quickly, he contacted Amazon.
"They said they would send a replacement out right away, and that I would have it within 12 hours or so, and it never showed up," said Lapworth.
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Messages with Amazon customer service reps show that they told him there was a shipping delay, despite being able to order a new one on the website and receive it with fast shipping.
"They told me just place an order for another one, and when [the delayed one comes] just refuse the delivery and we will refund it," said Lapworth.
When the second order arrived, he recorded the interaction with the driver on his home surveillance camera. Again, the watch arrived with nothing in the box. The driver called the company to try to help Lapworth, but nothing came of it. He spent hours on the phone trying to get his money back or the watch, but he still has nothing to show after a week.
"Probably 14 or 15 hours over the course of four to five days hoping someone would want to make it right," said Lapworth. "Customer service agents have hung up on me. I've been texting them in the app, and they have left the chat. It seems like a lot of them don't want to deal with it."
Finally, they originally offered him just a $10 credit for his troubles, but after arguments with Lapworth, they raised it to $100. "But I did spend $2,000 and I don't have the watch, or my money back," Lapworth said.
When he took his story to social media, he said dozens of people across the country reached out to him with the same story. It's leading him to wonder if there is a larger situation at play.
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"Someone is either swiping them while packing them, or somebody is buying them and returning them empty, and Amazon isn't weighing them," said Lapworth.
Amazon spokesperson told CBS News Boston the company is now launching an investigation into the matter. They hope to have an answer in the coming days. In the meantime, Lapworth bought a third watch, only this time he bought it directly from Garmin.
"I was told the watch is in the box, and it's brand new with a sticker on it," said Lapworth.
While the third watch order may cover his tan lines, it won't fill the hole remaining in his wallet.
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