When it comes to online shopping at Amazon, there is nothing more frustrating than the anticipation of something really cool being delivered, getting the notification that it’s arrived, only to open to your front door and find nothing but cobwebs and a pair of old tennis shoes your wife has been begging you to throw away. So what next? Here’s exactly what you need to do if Amazon delivered your package to the wrong address and it goes missing.

First, How Do You Know Amazon Delivered to the Wrong Address?

The answer is fairly straight-forward but worth running through.

The most obvious way is if you get an alert that your Amazon package was delivered but it hasn’t shown up at your doorstep or mailbox.

Sometimes these “arrival alerts” get sent out prematurely so it’s worth waiting at least 24 hours to see if your package shows up.

If it doesn’t, there’s a good chance it was delivered to the wrong address or flat-out stolen.

What If the Item Was Delivered by an Amazon Driver?

If a package is delivered by an Amazon driver, they take a picture of the package in the spot where they left it.

This picture is available in your Amazon account when you access your orders.

This is a great way to determine exactly where they put the package (maybe it’s at a side door or behind a hedge) OR worse case scenario, this gives you an idea if perhaps the package was stolen.

What Could Cause Amazon (or the USPS) to Mess Up?

There are several possible reasons Amazon delivered your package to the wrong house.

They include the following:

– Missing Address – Your address wasn’t printed correctly at the Amazon warehouse. See the above picture of a package I recently received from Amazon that had a screwed up shipping label that cut off half my name, my zip code, and street number.

– Driver Made an Honest Mistake – This typically leads to your neighbor getting your package instead of you.

– No Apartment Number Was Listed on Package – Your address may be printed correctly but Amazon failed to print your apartment number.

– Package Was Delivered to Your Address But Stolen – Check any video surveillance cameras you may have set up at your house.

Next, Contact Amazon via Phone or Live Chat

You can call Amazon customer service at 1-888-280-4331 or start a live chat session.

Personally, I’m a fan of using live chat as it’s easy to type out the issue and get a straight response.

Plus, you can do a screen capture of the conversation and have evidence of what the Amazon representative said they would do to help the situation.

To start a live chat, first visit the Amazon customer service hub and click on the help option titled “A delivery, order or return”.

Next, click on the product that never showed up.

Then click on “Says delivered, but it’s not here”. Then click “I need more help” followed by “Start chatting now”.

Then when you get a chat rep explain the situation and they’ll walk you through your options.

What Options Will Amazon Give Me?

Amazon gives you two pretty solid options if your package never makes it to you.

They include…

– Replacement product – You’ll be given the option for the exact same item to be mailed to you at no extra cost.

– Refund in full – Perhaps you needed the item in a timely manner, and now that you don’t need it any more, you’d rather just have a full refund.

Important Note: Keep in mind that the Amazon rep might ask you to wait 24 hours to see if you can locate your package. If you’re adamant that this in NOT acceptable, it’s been my experience that they’ll waive this “waiting period” and immediately offer a refund or replacement.

See Also: Amazon Return Policy: We Cut Thru the Crap and Show You How It Works

Bonus: Try This Before Contacting Amazon

These tips may seem obvious, but they’re things that can often work well when you’re trying to find a missing package from Amazon.

NextDoor app – My neighborhood has a strong presence on the NextDoor app and allows users to quickly post that they never received their Amazon package.

In many cases you’ll get a response that a neighbor has it or has evidence of porch pirates stalking the neighborhood.

Ask Your Neighbors – Often times your package will be sitting on the front porch of one of your neighbor’s homes.

Walk the Perimeter – Some delivery folks will put your package over a backyard fence if they feel it’s not save to leave at your front door.

Also, take a look behind bushes and plants near your front door as they may have set it there as well.

HOA help? – If you have a home owners association you may want to contact them to let them know, especially if you feel it may have been stolen.

If the HOA gets enough complaints, they may move forward on safer alternatives for your Amazon packages, including lock boxes where packages can be placed.

See Also: Can I Make an Amazon Return After 30 Days? Here’s the Deal

Can I Keep Something From Amazon That I Didn’t Order?

Surprisingly, YES.

There has been a few items over the years where something from Amazon shows up at my house, has my name and address on it, but I NEVER ordered.

Each time when I contacted Amazon (via live chat) and told them about it, they told me to keep it. Crazy!

They said that since there is no record of the order in their system they wouldn’t be able to process a refund or return.

Things I’ve received include an expensive comforter set, an Amazon Alexa Fire TV Recast, and a small screwdriver set.

So off I went to eBay, listed the stuff for sale, and made a few extra bucks in the process.

See Also: Amazon Sent Me a $339 Item I Didn’t Order…Then They Told Me to Keep It

Ask the Reader: What’s been your best recourse when your Amazon package is mailed to wrong address or never shows up?

By Kyle James

I was recently showing my son how to change the oil in his car and the idea for this article was born. He was asking me how much money I think it saves us to do-it-yourself and I told him it depends on where you take your car to get the oil changed. He said “Costco was probably pretty cheap?” and I said, “I’m not sure if Costco does oil changes”. So I figured I’d go out and do the research to figure out what the deal is at Costco, and uncover all the ways to save money on oil changes by shopping at Costco.

Does Costco Perform Oil Changes?

No.

Costco will happily sell you new tires for your car, but as of this writing, they no longer perform oil changes at any location in the United States.

From the comments, it appears Canadian Costco locations still perform oil changes.

I called Costco corporate to verify this information and was told “Costco locations in the U.S. have stopped doing oil changes”.

I then hit up Costco Canada and was told that locations in some provinces STILL perform oil changes, namely Ontario and Nova Scotia.

See Also: Did You Know You Can Get Gas at Costco Starting at 6 a.m.?

When Did Costco Stop Doing Oil Changes?

From my research, it looks like Costco stopped doing oil changes in the U.S. right around 2016 or 2017 depending on the location.

Does Costco Sell Motor Oil So I Can Do It Myself?

Yes.

And it’s a pretty good deal if you’re handy enough to do your own oil changes at home.

You can buy 10 quarts of the Kirkland 5W-20 full synthetic for only $38.99.

If you want a name brand, you can buy 6 quarts of Mobil 10W-30 full synthetic for $41.99.

Pretty good deal.

See Also: Considering Costco Gas? 7 Things to Know First

Jiffy Lube Gift Cards is the Best Solution

While Costco doesn’t offer oil changes anymore, they still have a GREAT way to save money on your next oil change.

The next time you walk into Costco, head to the gift cards section and look for Jiffy Lube gift cards.

They typically come in a 2-pack with each being valued at $50…but you ONLY pay $74.99 for both.

That turns into a very cool 25% savings on your next oil change for doing pretty much nothing.

Also, it’s worth noting that sometimes you can find these Jiffy Lube gift cards on Costco.com with free shipping.

See Also: 12 Things You Should AVOID Buying at Costco

What Big Box Stores Still Do Oil Changes?

The following couple stores still do oil changes and are affordable options.

– Walmart – Oil changes at Walmart start at an affordable $32.88.

– Sears – Yes, there are still some Sears stores open across the country. If you live near one, you can get your oil changed for about $45 for basic service.

Ask the Reader: Did you take advantage of oil changes at Costco back in the day? Where do you take your vehicle now to get the oil and filter changed?

By Kyle James

Since you clicked on my article you’re probably wondering if Target sells cigarettes and other tobacco related products. Here’s everything you need to know including a list of big box national retailers and grocery stores that still sell cigarettes.

Does My Local Target Sell Cigarettes?

No.

Target was actually one of the first major retailers to ban the sale of cigarettes way back in 1996.

They cited health issues and the internal cost of trying to keep cigarettes out of the hands of minors as contributing factors.

Target has done a good job creating a brand that is health conscious and out for the “greater good” of society.

What About Cigars?

Nope.

Cigars were banned in all Target locations (as well as their website) at the same time as cigarettes.

See Also: Did You Know You Can Stack Coupons at Target?

Does Target Sell Loose Tobacco?

No.

Starting to sense a theme here?

Target does not sell loose tobacco or the rolling paper used to make your own cigarettes.

What About Vape Products?

No.

Target recently made the business decision to NOT sell vape or e-cigarette products either.

See Also: Here’s How the Target Price Match Policy Works

Does Target Sell Nicorette or Other “Stop Smoking” Aids?

Yes.

Target sells the following stop smoking aids, all over-the-counter.

1. Nicorette Gum – Chew on it when the urge to light up a smoke hits ya.

2. NicoDerm Patch – The patch releases nicotine throughout the day to help greatly with the urge to smoke.

4. Nicotine Gum – This is made by “Up&Up” which is Target’s in-house brand and is cheaper than the Nicorette brand.

Do Any Big Box Stores Still Sell Cigarettes?

Yes, but not many.

Many stores like Walmart and Costco are jumping on the “no-cigs” bandwagon.

But as of this writing, the following national retail and grocery stores STILL sell cigarettes.

– Walgreens.

– Sam’s Club.

– Dollar General.

– Family Dollar.

– Rite-Aid.

– Kroger.

– Publix.

– Safeway.

– Winco.

Ask the Reader: Do you agree that stores like Target should stop selling cigarettes or do you think they should continue selling them in the name of personal responsibility and freedom?

By Kyle James