Students’ associations baffled by mysterious packages from Amazon
Sleep masks, phone chargers and sex toys — not the kind of things you’d expect a university students’ union to be stockpiling in its office.
The staff of students’ associations across the province are scratching their heads after getting dozens of unwanted and unsolicited deliveries from Amazon over the past few months.
The packages have been arriving anonymously with no return address at the University of Lethbridge’s students’ union since October, sometimes twice a day.
So far, there have been 38 mystery packages delivered to the U of L, ranging from cellphone chargers, cameras, purses, jewelry making kits and about half a dozen sex toys.
“It’s a question mark, but we’re just sort of finding it humorous at this point,” said Cheri Pokarney, general manager of the students’ union at the University of Lethbridge.
When the packages started to arrive, Pokarney says she thought the items were meant for other university departments and mistakenly delivered to the students’ union. But when no one claimed the mystery packages, she became worried and reached out to Amazon for help.
“We tried contacting Amazon, but there’s really no tracking number ... there’s really no way of knowing who sent them,” she said. “Legally, what’s our responsibility with these items? So for right now, we’re holding on to them.”
A similar scenario has been playing out at Mount Royal University.
More than 30 packages have been delivered to the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University since November, ranging from wireless earbuds, dog tags and more sex toys.
Lisa Antichow, the association’s administration manager, says the group is now refusing delivery.
Amazon is investigating who is sending these parcels to the associations and why, saying the unsolicited packages violate the company’s policies.
“We have confirmed the sellers involved did not receive names or shipping addresses from Amazon,” the company said in a statement. “We remove sellers in violation of our policies, withhold payments, and work with law enforcement to take appropriate action.”
The Calgary Police Service say they are aware of the situation, but are not investigating.
Some associations say they might use the items as prizes or giveaways, once they get the all clear from Amazon.
Stephanie Nedoshytko, president of the Students’ Association of MacEwan University, says they have received at least 10 packages. But unlike U of L and MRU, MacEwan University hasn’t been sent any risqué items.
“We have not gotten any sex toys,” she said. “Our sex week is actually going on from Feb. 12 to Feb. 15 ... it would have been great to have some fun items to give away.”
But at the University of Calgary, only a single mystery package has been delivered, which the students’ union says it returned to Amazon. “From what I understand ... it had light bulbs and a WiFi repeater,” said students’ union president Branden Cave. “I have no idea what to make of it.”