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An engineer couple from Bengaluru faced a horrifying ordeal when they discovered a live cobra inside their Amazon package. What was supposed to be a routine delivery of an Xbox controller turned into a nightmare for the couple while at the same time raising serious concerns about safety and negligence on the part of the online retail giant.
A venomous shock
The couple recounted their terrifying experience to India Today. “We ordered an Xbox controller two days ago from Amazon and received a live snake in the package. The package was directly handed over to us by the delivery partner (not left outside). We live on Sarjapur Road and captured the entire incident on camera, plus we have eyewitnesses to the same,” they said.
A video of the incident, now viral on social media, shows a half-opened Amazon package placed inside a bucket, with a snake struggling and wiggling to get free as it can be seen stuck in the packaging tape.
Refunds & hollow apologies
While the couple did receive a refund, they raised pressing questions about the severe risk to their lives posed by the incident.
“We did receive a complete refund, but what do we get for risking our lives here with a highly venomous snake? This is clearly a safety breach caused solely by Amazon’s negligence and their poor transportation/warehousing hygiene and supervision. Where is the accountability for such a serious lapse in safety?” the customer added.
The couple also expressed their dissatisfaction with Amazon’s response, which they felt was grossly inadequate.
Speaking about the incident, the customer said: “They have just shared a full refund, which they should have anyway. But we did not receive any compensation or an official apology beyond that. Their typical ‘we regret the inconvenience caused to you’ does not count. This is by all means not acceptable to us as Amazon customers and to their delivery partner as an employee. This is a clear breach of safety. Also, I do not think we will receive a satisfactory resolution anytime soon.”
Amazon’s tepid response
As per a report by Hindustan Times, an Amazon spokesperson, in an email communication, offered a bland statement that did little to address the severity of the incident.
“The safety of our customers, employees and associates is a top priority for us. We work hard to provide customers with a trustworthy shopping experience and it’s our commitment to go above and beyond to make things right for them. We take all customer complaints seriously and are investigating this incident,” the Amazon spokesperson said.
Not the first time
However, this is not the first time that a snake has been discovered inside an Amazon package. Back in 2018, a US couple from Clayton County got an unexpected surprise when they opened an Amazon package.
As per a report in The Atlanta Journal Constitution, along with the storage bins they had ordered, they found a snake inside.
At that time, the couple had recounted that a snake fell out of the package upon opening. As per the report, Amazon had refunded the couple for their $15 order, according to customer service emails shared with Channel 2 Action News.