What’s Really Inside an Amazon Mystery Box? Buyers Expose the Scam

It seems like an exciting opportunity. You see an ad for an Amazon mystery box containing a collection of returned items, overstock, and other fun surprises. You don’t know what will be sent to you, but you do know it’s valuable, and the mystery is part of the fun! 

Unfortunately, for those who fall prey to this sort of Amazon mystery box scam, the surprise is definitely disappointing. 

Key Insights

• Amazon reviews highlight that mystery boxes typically promise high-value surprise items but contain low-value or no-value items instead. 
• Mystery boxes are usually sold through third-party sellers, not directly through Amazon.
• Amazon does sell pallets of overstock and damaged items in bulk to enrolled business customers who have tax-exempt status, not typical consumers.

Real Stories from Scammed Shoppers

Online reviews about Amazon tell the stories of many customers who fell victim to one of the newest online scams. A reviewer named Kinzy was one of those who told her story among the Amazon reviews on PissedConsumer.

According to the reviewer, a seller advertised on Facebook “in such a manner to present the appearance the seller was Amazon.” Kinzy ordered two large boxes from the seller and “was charged $131.98” for both boxes. 

I was charged$131.98. for 2 Giant Boxes. Box #1 arrived and contained 4 tiny off-brand items of little or no value. Box #2 has never arrived.

Kinzy reached out to the seller and discovered that the two boxes she ordered were “packaged together to reduce cost,” and the four small items she received were the contents of both “giant boxes” she ordered. 

In her review, Kinzy noted that she felt scammed and reported the issue to the US Attorney General. She was also planning to contact a local news affiliate to warn others about these consumer issues. 

Others have fallen for similar ads turned Facebook scams involving mystery boxes. In review #4696090, a customer named Zach shared that he paid $60 for a box that was advertised to be a “high value electronics mystery box” valued at $400 and $500. When he opened the box, “it was an $18 water flosser.” He claims his experience “seems like a scam and a warehouse dump.”

Still another customer, Ferdos, tells her story succinctly in her review #6593053. She “purchased 2 Amazon Pallets expecting 5-20 items in each as advertised on Facebook.” But instead, she “got 2 tiny Mystery Boxes with one item in each.” 

She, like all the other reviewers, was understandably frustrated to be taken in by a scam.

Understanding the Scam

The Amazon mystery box scam is among the top scams with good reason – it feels like a good deal from a reputable seller, and, unlike many other scams, you’re not left entirely empty-handed. This scam is a bit more of a bait-and-switch or misleading advertising. 

Here’s how it works.

Third-party sellers who sell through Amazon, or sellers who have designed sites to look like Amazon, create ads impersonating authentic Amazon. The fake ads entice buyers with promises of brand-new, desirable goods sold in a mystery box or on a mystery pallet.

The ads claim the consumer is buying a large collection of items for a heavily discounted price, and they often use terms like “pallet,” “overstock,” or “return box” to lend credibility to the ad.

Amazon does have a pallet program that is available only to certain business sellers who hold a particular tax-exempt status, so even a quick internet search about “Amazon pallet” may turn up information to help sell the scam, but the authentic Amazon pallet program is not available to the general public and it is not advertised through Facebook or other social media ads.

Source: amazon.com

However, once the scammer’s ad convinces a buyer to make a purchase, the buyer pays for a mystery box or “pallet.” The scammer sends a small, inexpensive item, and the would-be bargain buyer is left with expensive junk while the scammer enjoys their money. 

How to Protect Yourself from Mystery Box Scams

Staying savvy to potential scams in consumer trends is important. Here’s how to avoid falling for scams like the Amazon Mystery Box scam. 

• First, remember that Amazon does not sell pallets, overstock, or mystery open items to the public. Individual sellers may sell mystery boxes through Amazon, but those are not being sold by Amazon directly.

• Second, remember that typically things that seem too good to be true often are. Be wary anytime you see an advertisement on social media or other websites that seems unrealistic.

• Finally, don’t follow any links through those ads or posts. If an offer is being made through an authentic seller like Amazon, you should be able to go directly to the website and find the offer. Type in the URL yourself rather than following links to avoid going to fake or phishing websites.

Reporting the Scams

If you find a scam, strongly consider reporting it to protect others. If you encounter or fall for the Amazon Mystery Box scam, report it directly to Amazon, especially if the items were sold by an Amazon reseller on the website.

You might also report scams to your state’s Office of the Attorney General, an agency that tracks scams and tries to protect the public.

Finally, you should warn others, and the best way to do that is to leave reviews about your experience. Not only will you let others know what to avoid, but you may also find a community of support from those who have had similar experiences. 

Been scammed? Report it through PissedConsumer.com.