San Jose woman drowns in mystery Amazon packages for over a year: 'It's been hell'

After months of complaints, Amazon finally resolved a San Jose woman's issue with hundreds of unordered packages cluttering her home.

For more than a year, a San Jose woman has lived what she calls a “nightmare”, her home overrun by hundreds of oversized Amazon boxes she never ordered, can’t stop, and didn’t ask for.

The woman said the deluge of packages began with just one box. (Representational Image) (Reuters)

According to a report by ABC7 news, the woman, who asked to be identified only as "Kay," says the deluge of packages began with just one box, sparking initial confusion.

“It started with one package, and I was like, that's not my address! I went to my neighbors and asked if anyone accidentally put the wrong address… Nobody knew what it was!” she told ABC7’s 7 On Your Side.

That one box turned into a relentless flood. Over the months, her carport filled up with the same item: faux-leather car seat covers, sent by a Chinese online seller on Amazon called Liusandedian.

Though she’s refused delivery on many packages, dozens still line her driveway and doorstep, sometimes blocking access for her 88-year-old mother, who is disabled, the report further added.

The root of the problem? It appears the seller listed Kay’s address as their return destination for US customers who want to send back their purchases. Instead of going back to the seller or an official return center, the packages from frustrated customers are being shipped to Kay, leaving her stuck in the middle of a logistical mess.

Many of those customers, meanwhile, are left without refunds and must pay exorbitant shipping costs to return the items. “It’s going to cost me $124 to return this item,” one Amazon reviewer wrote, referring to a product they already spent over $129 on. Others said they never got their money back.

Under Amazon’s return policy for international sellers, companies must offer one of three options: provide a US-based return address, issue a “returnless refund,” or offer a pre-paid international shipping label within two days of a return request. If none of those steps are followed, Amazon is expected to refund the buyer and charge the seller.

In this case, Liusandedian appears to have sidestepped all of them.

6 complaints over 10 months

Kay reached out to Amazon repeatedly, six official complaint tickets over 12 months, and was assured the issue would stop. She was even offered a $100 gift card. But the packages kept coming.

“And every time I was absolutely assured this will stop... you won't get any more of these packages, you'll hear from us in 24, 48 hours...” she recalled according to the publication.

Even more frustrating, Kay says Amazon pushed the responsibility onto her, suggesting she donate the packages, give them away, or take them to FedEx or USPS. Amazon, however, denies asking her to return them via postal services.

Online reviews for Liusandedian show growing frustration: more than 40% of its Amazon ratings are one star. There’s no visible company website or contact information, leaving consumers without recourse when something goes wrong.

After 7 On Your Side contacted Amazon for comment, the company finally acted. A spokesperson told ABC7, “We'd like to thank ABC 7 On Your Side for bringing this to our attention. We've apologized to the customer and are working directly with her to pick up any packages while taking steps to permanently resolve this issue.”

All the packages were removed from her property this week. After more than a year of stress, blocked access, and countless unanswered complaints, she says she finally feels heard.