Amazon told lots of customers they’d be getting a baby gift — even if they aren’t pregnant and don’t have a registry
Amazon has not clarified how many customers received the message or whether any gifts were sent out
By Caroline Cakebread
Some Amazon customers were in for a surprise Tuesday when they opened an email from the company telling them someone had purchased a baby gift for them.
The even bigger surprise? Many of them apparently either didn’t have a baby or didn’t have a baby gift registry listed on the e-commerce site.
No matter — “A gift is on its way,” the email read, adding that customers could go to Amazon’s site to see what had been purchased for them.
Several customers said on Twitter they were worried the email represented a phishing attack. But tech journalist Arik Hesseldahl noted in a tweet that the email appeared to come from Amazon itself and argued the email was more likely a result of human error than a hacking attempt.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many Amazon customers received the email or whether the company actually recorded or shipped out any gift orders related to it.
Business Insider reached out to Amazon for comment but has not gotten a response.
Regardless, the email amused some customers and riled up others. Dozens took to Twitter, posting photos of the ones they received.
This isn’t the first time this year a glitch in the site has surprised Amazon customers. Last month, Amazon inadvertently sent some shoppers a gift code to order its Echo Dot smart speaker free of charge.
