B.C. regulator fines Amazon $10,000 in ruling that limits what 'delivery' means

A British Columbia regulator has ordered Amazon to pay a $10,000 penalty over a failed delivery, ruling that it's not good enough to leave a package on a doorstep or with another person unless the buyer consents.

Consumer Protection BC says in a decision issued last month that the consumer complained to them that Amazon failed to deliver an order for electronic equipment under a "distance sales contract" in August 2024. 

The Oct. 14 decision says the unnamed consumer alleged Amazon failed to deliver the "portable dual display and portable digital storage unit" within 30 days, then denied a refund of about $580. 

It says Amazon suspected "return abuse" because the customer had requested three refunds in the past year, pointing to evidence the goods had been handed over to someone who lived at the address. 

But the adjudicator's decision says the word "delivery" isn't defined in B.C.'s Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, and Amazon was obligated to ensure delivery to "the rightful consumer." 

It says that without the buyer's express agreement, "delivery" doesn't mean leaving an item with someone else at the address or at a front door or porch.

The regulator ordered Amazon to refund the complainant, pay a monetary penalty of $10,000, and was ordered to pay more than $9,000 in legal and investigation costs.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck