Thinking about buying a laptop from Walmart via FedEx? You might want to skip the middleman and go straight to the Apple store. This TikToker, Ashonte, shares that they received an empty box from Walmart in a delivery fulfilled by FedEx that should have had a MacBook Air in it. Viewers are concerned for Ashonte, who says they now have to pay $1,000.
In the almost five-minute video, Ashonte (@ashontexo) shares how they believe their laptop was stolen from the package by either a FedEx or Walmart employee. They say that after placing their order via Walmart and using Affirm to pay, FedEx somehow delivered an empty package.
“Put a finger down if you ordered a $1,000 MacBook from Walmart online that was supposed to be delivered on April 22,” Ashonte begins the video saying. “Not only was it ‘delivered,’ you open the package and there’s no MacBook inside.”
Did she get a refund?
Interestingly enough, Ashonte says FedEx has evidence that the package wasn’t actually signed for. Ashonte shows a screenshot of the purported “signature,” which is just a horizontal line. FedEx also agreed that the box had clearly been tampered with, according to Ashonte. However, the company reportedly told Ashonte that it still could not take responsibility for the item. Ashonte says that Walmart and Affirm have also told them the same thing.
The video has 1.2 million views and over 6,200 comments as of this writing.
Viewers in the comments are sympathetic to Ashonte’s concerns and share similar horror stories about FedEx.
“I just got a headache,” says one comment.
“Sometimes it’s actually FedEx , they’ve been stealing packages all the time with a way of opening boxes then closing them,” says another.
“@Walmart you’re a trillion dollar company pls give this lady her money!!!! Do the right thing,” pleads another.
“I had UPS deliver a ‘phone’. Before they left the delivery driver said it feels light and had me open it up in front of her. It was empty. She called her supervisor and they handled it. FedEx is trash,” says another.
To make matters more complicated, Ashonte alleges Walmart and FedEx have a shipping agreement that protects them from holding each other liable for these kinds of disputes. Ashonte also shares a screenshot from Affirm where, according to the TikToker, Affirm cites this agreement as a reason it can’t interfere.
@ashontexo @Walmart is this how you treat your customers??? Please refund my money OR submit my claim to FedEx #scam #fyp #walmart #macbook #fedex ♬ original sound – Life is But a Dream 💭
Do Walmart and FedEx really have a deal?
The Daily Dot was unable to confirm the existence of an explicit protection agreement between Walmart and FedEx, as Ashonte describes.
In its email, Affirm references the Shipping and Delivery section of Walmart.com’s Terms of Use policy. The policy states, “All transactions are made pursuant to a shipping contract, and, as a result, risk of loss and title for Products pass to you upon delivery of the Products to the carrier.”
Affirm tells Ashonte that since the order is marked as delivered, Walmart is operating within its policy, so the bank can’t “pursue a dispute.”
Walmart.com’s Terms of Use policy does not mention FedEx except as an acceptable shipping carrier for customers to use to send Walmart arbitration request letters.
What is FedEx’s resolution policy?
On its website, FedEx states, “You can file a claim online for a FedEx Express®, FedEx Ground®, or FedEx Freight® shipment that’s damaged, lost, or missing contents.”
Customers will need “your tracking/PRO number and any necessary supporting documentation, such as a photo of a damaged package, serial number of lost merchandise, or copy of a receipt. Once we receive your claim, we’ll notify you if we need to inspect your shipment. Be sure to keep any original packaging for inspection, and don’t discard it until after your claim is resolved.”
The company adds, “If your claim is approved, FedEx will send you the payment via check or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).”
The Daily Dot has reached out to FedEx and Affirm via email, Walmart via media contact form, and Ashonte via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
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