A Kansas man is questioning random packages that keep getting dropped off at his front door.
Getting a package delivered is usually exciting, but recently Kyle Mullins of Olathe got something he didn’t order and doesn’t really have a use for.
“About a month ago, we got our first package that no one at my house ordered,” Mullins said. “We opened it, and it was just this random electric disco ball.”
About a week later, another package showed up at his doorstep.
“The second package we got a week-and-a-half later had two items in it,” Mullins said. “We had just an Apple Watch strap, just the strap, and a pair of wireless earbuds with a portable charging station with them.”
Like clockwork, about a week-and-a-half later, another Amazon delivery arrived.
“The third package was vacuum-sealed plastic bags, which I’ve watched too much Dexter for that, and then there was this mole remover pen,” Mullins said.
His home address was printed on the label, but there was no name.
“We called Amazon, and we got the name Girardo for who sent it, but the address was apparently correct,” Mullins said. “There wasn’t a mix-up. This is where he had sent it.”
After posting about the experience online, Kyle realized he’s not the only one receiving these random gifts.
“We made a post on Facebook, and it was more of a joke, but then some more people came out and said they had seen news stories about it,” Mullins said.
It’s called “brushing,” when an online seller buys their own products through buyers accounts that they’ve created.
Those products are then shipped to a real address. Then, the seller writes a review of their items from the fake account.
The end game: positive reviews help products sell.
“I also figured that they would do that to different addresses and apparently we’ve just been picked,” Mullins said.
It’s been about a week since the last mysterious Amazon delivery.
Kyle wonders if he’ll get a new one this week to add to the growing collection.
“So far, we’re keeping them mostly all together,” Mullins said. “I have been using the earbuds frequently, they’re nice. Ever since we made the Facebook post, we’ve had people calling dibs on buying them.”
Unsolicited package deliveries are a violation of Amazon’s policies.
The company has released a statement saying an investigation is underway.