A Year of Unwanted Deliveries
For almost a year, a woman in San Jose has been at the receiving end of an endless stream of Amazon packages she never ordered. What began as a trickle escalated into daily deliveries, filling her garage and driveway with boxes of imitation leather car seat covers. The piles of packages have not only disrupted her household but have also severely affected the mobility of her 88-year-old disabled mother, who now struggles to leave their home.
Despite the woman’s repeated attempts to resolve the issue with Amazon—reportedly contacting the company at least six times—no meaningful action was taken for months. The family’s distress grew as the parcels continued to arrive, overwhelming their property and daily life.
A Global Commerce Loophole Exposed
The source of the problem traces back to a Chinese seller named Liusan Didian, operating under the brand name Etkin on Amazon. For reasons that remain unclear, the seller listed the San Jose woman’s address as the default return location for dissatisfied customers around the world. Each time a buyer returned a car seat cover—often due to quality complaints or refund disputes—the product made its way, not to the seller, but to her front door.
The situation is a stark example of how third-party sellers can exploit gaps in the logistics systems of major e-commerce platforms. Returns were supposed to go back to the seller or an authorized warehouse, but instead, the victim’s home became a dumping ground for unwanted merchandise from across the globe.
Delayed Action and Mounting Frustration
Despite numerous pleas for help, Amazon’s response was slow and ineffective. “It just kept coming every day,” the woman told local reporters, describing the anxiety and helplessness brought on by the constant deliveries. The company’s delay in addressing the issue prolonged her ordeal and left her mother virtually homebound due to the blocked driveway and garage.
It was only after local media outlets reported the story that Amazon finally took action. Company representatives visited the home, retrieved dozens of wrongly delivered packages, and issued an apology to the family. Amazon stated it was working directly with the affected customer and promised to prevent similar incidents in the future.
A Repeat Pattern and Wider Implications
This is not an isolated case. Last year, John DeFever of Woodside, California, experienced a similar situation after becoming the unintended recipient of numerous Amazon parcels linked to third-party sellers’ return mishaps. These repeated occurrences raise serious questions about Amazon’s oversight of its vast marketplace.
Consumer reviews for Etkin-branded seat covers on Amazon underscore a wider problem. Complaints abound about poor product quality, high return fees, and customers never receiving promised refunds. Such cases highlight how unregulated third-party sellers can manipulate the system, offload return costs, and disregard the inconvenience and emotional toll on innocent bystanders.
Calls for Stronger Consumer Protection
The San Jose episode has reignited calls for e-commerce giants like Amazon to strengthen monitoring of third-party sellers and improve transparency in their logistics networks. Consumer rights groups argue that more robust safeguards are needed to prevent private citizens from being unwillingly dragged into the global shipping chain. They emphasize the responsibility of platforms like Amazon to swiftly address such incidents and offer affected individuals clear avenues for relief.
As e-commerce continues to expand and cross-border sales rise, the need for companies to adapt their systems and protect consumers—both buyers and unrelated parties—has never been more urgent.
