Complaint Review: Allied Eco Systems LLC

The package was opened and it can not be returned without a new shipping fee paid, yet why is that a problem? No one ordered it. If it has a value to you, keep it. Consider this, however. If those bulbs match bulbs that which your hotel utilizes, it would be difficult to disregard that coincidence. If they are of no value then trash them. Any 'bill' is invalid and may also be trashed. If there is no online contract or no recorded phone conversation to validate the order, it would be impossible to collect the bill through any collection agency. Why would a party committing fraudulent activity stick their neck out when payment is not made??

It was also mentioned that the return shipping cost was expected to be paid by the bulb sender. If these bulbs were sent with the intent of collecting payment on a scam, then obviously the monetary value of these 'random' bulbs will be very little. Suddenly the source of fraudulent activity will offer to pay for the return?? Really? The gullibility of this expectaion reflects the tizzy made by the OP. 

What is more bizarre than the myriad of petty fraudulent activities that everyone is commonly exposed to is when someone wastes significant amount of time with them. The resolve of this incident is simple and immediate, yet it voluntarily festered into absurdity. After verifying with the maintenance individual, these light bulbs could have easily been ignored. No one forced this OP to become so counter-productive. To imagine that, as a hotel manager, the time spent on these silly light bulbs has prominance to other management issues speaks volumes for the competence of management skills.

This OP feels comfortable calling other's an idiot, yet who is the person spending a ridiculous amount of time on such a petty non-issue? By allowing this dribble to become such a hassle and waste of time, how much would one flounder with more legitimate serious challenges?

I phoned the company for 24 hours before I got a person to answer.

She said she was the receptionist and no one else was there (3pm, work day).  She then called me back in a few moments and said that my maintenance tech had ordered the bulbs.  He had not; he, as myself, had been contacted by this company more than once asking if we wanted their catalog.

Last week, I received a letter with no letterhead, no name and a $5.00 gift cart from Walmart addressed to my maintenance tech.  I questioned him and he said he had been told if he would just accept a catalog, they would send him a $25 gift card.  He does not speak English very well; he did not order lighting from this company.  The letter accompanying the gift card said they were sorry, they still did not have a catalog available.  The bulbs and the gift card are sitting in a box in my office awaiting a bill, at which point all will be returned to them and I will make sure they have to pay any shipping fees.  I also will report them to the BBB.

It's quite apparent they phoned here and asked for the maintenance person, got his name and asked if he would like to see their catalog.  He does not place any type of orders; I am the manager, and I do it myself.  We are on a purchase order system that requires corporate approval.

That was quite an idiotic comment that if it had been a game or something I wanted, I would have opened it and kept it and said nothing.  Perhaps you know nothing about ethical behavior in a workplace.  If I did not request it, I do not want it, and will not pay for it.  Some of us still operate in an honest fashion.

It was a scam and I reported it just in case anyone else is contacted by this company; for no other reason.

This sounds like a very common "Office Supply Scam".  This is where a company will send very overpriced office supplies, and light bulbs is very common. 

One variation is that they somehow get the name of an employee and they a package using that employees name.  Where very often that person never even talked to them.  What they hope is that they send it to a big company who just pays the invoice unquestioned, figuring that person must have ordered it.

Sometimes if you get a hold of them they will offer to take them back for a restocking fee, that very often is as much as you could just go buy them on your own.  They may threaten you with various actions hoping to intimidate you.  This is why you need to know your rights.  And the biggest right you have is that if you did not order it you have the right to keep them..and treat them as a gift.

If they do contact you requesting payment file a complaint with the FTC, and let them know that you have done that.  If they still push it you an refer them to the following page.

http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus24-avoiding-office-supply-scams

If the link is redacted just search for "FTC Office Supply Scams"

So you have a package delivered that you know nothing about. Big deal. Why take it so personal, especially when it wasn't delivered specifically to you? You had mentioned that the packing slip has the maintenance engineer's name on it, yet you never said anything about what he said about it. Wouldn't he be the one to resolve any concerns?

UPS, like all other carriers, will not return opened packages without a new shipment label. If opened packages were simply returned with no new fee paid, millions of shipments would be made because of buyer remorse. Carriers would also be potentially liable for altered/missing contents of the original shipment. Why be bothered about the shipment. Give it to the engineer or, if that's too difficult for you, then toss it in storage until someone inquires about it. You gave no reason to think anyone has a cent invested into the light bulbs, especially yourself.

Too bad it wasn't something of value like a laptop or gaming system. Bet you wouldn't be so concerned then and just keep it for your own.