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.

See Also: How to Use Amazon to Find Affordable Alternatives to Expensive Brands

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

As I work my way through all of the retailers that offer a military or veteran discount, the Best Buy military discount kept popping up as one that I needed to research in greater detail. It seems they had a “public” military discount as recent as 2017 but may have gone away. So I visited a couple Best Buy stores to try and find some answers so vets and active military could save a few extra bucks. Here’s what I found out, hope this info helps you save.

So…Does Best Buy Have a Military Discount?

No….well maybe.

Their “military discount” is on a case-by-case basis and comes down to the discretion of the manager.

I recently went into my local Best Buy and inquired about the discount to try and get some answers.

I spoke with a very friendly manager and was told that “Yes” he does hand out a 10% military discount to those who ask.

I then went to a Best Buy in a neighboring town and was told “No, they don’t offer a military discount”.

So the bottom-line is your mileage will vary depending on who you talk too, but you might as well ask as you have NOTHING to loose.

So How Do I Make It Happen?

You can do TWO things to try and obtain a military discount at Best Buy.

1. Call Your Local Best Buy Location

Simply call and ask as many locations offer a military discount to those who inquire.

They might not promote or advertise it anywhere, but it does exist.

See Also: 90+ Places Where Veterans Get a Nice Discount

2. Go To Your Local Store and Ask

When you arrive, head to the customer service desk and ask if they have a military discount.

If they say “no” or they aren’t sure, politely ask to speak to the manager.

When you talk to the manager explain that you’ve heard many Best Buy locations offer a 10% military discount and see what they say.

Who Qualifies for the Discount?

It’s not exactly clear who is eligible for a military discount at Best Buy.

But according to the Best Buy manager that I spoke with, he gives the discount to active and retired military members.

He asks for a current military ID card, DD214, or a driver’s license with a veteran’s designation on it and he’ll give a 10% discount.

See Also: The Home Depot Military Discount: Here’s How It Works

How Do I Prove My Status As a Veteran?

The easiest way is to get a driver’s license with a “veteran” designation on it.

If you don’t have that designation on your license, then bring whatever paperwork you have that can prove your service.

What About Geek Squad Services?

Some stores managers are more likely to hand out a military discount on Best Buy services rather than actual products.

The Geek Squad falls into this category and if you need tech help ask politely for a military discount on the services.

You stand a great chance of getting a small kick-back on Geek Squad services like in-home installation and computer repair.

What If I’m Denied a Discount, Do I Have Other Options?

Yes.

Here are a few other options to save at Best Buy if you fail to score a military discount.

1. Student Discount

The Best Buy student discount is no joke and serves as a great way for college students to save on specific products like laptops, tablets, and even Apple products.

Best Buy has essentially created a separate website for “college deals” with savings up to 45% off the original retail price.

You only need to have a .edu email address to qualify.

2. Employee Discount

 If you get turned down for a military discount, maybe ask for a job application and save money via the Best Buy employee discount.

When hired you’ll get a discount of cost + 5% which ain’t too shabby.

So if the product’s retail price is $100 and Best Buy paid $65 for it then you’ll get it for a smooth $68.25.

With the high markup on consumer electronics, you’ll save a TON of money working for Best Buy.

See Also: Target Military Discount: A Cool 10% Discount…Just Not Everyday

3. Get a Price Match

 A smart, yet often overlooked way to save at Best Buy is to take advantage of their price match policy.

If a competitor within 25 miles of your local Best Buy has a lower price, they’ll happily match that price.

Items must be identical and in-stock at both stores.

Ask the Reader: How do you save money at Best Buy? Let me know your favorite trick or savings hack in the comments section.

By Kyle James

Are you considering applying for a job at your local Walmart? If so, you may be wondering if Walmart drug tests people in the hiring process or does random drug tests after you get hired. This information may be a tipping point in your job search. I talked to several employees and a store manager and here’s everything you need to know about drug testing at Walmart and how the process works.

The bottom-line is that Walmart does drug test, but NOT all new hires have to take one.

More on this below.

Not All Employees Are Subject to a Drug Test

According to the Walmart store manager that I talked too, not all new hires are required to take a drug test.

Only certain departments are required to take a test and it seems this can change from store to store.

They involve departments that handle heavy equipment like a fork lift, pharmacy techs, sporting goods (guns & ammo), and managerial positions all require a drug test.

Cashier positions are NOT required to take drug test at Walmart at this time.

I was also told that many Walmart locations will NOT drug test seasonal workers around Black Friday and Christmas.

DRUG TEST BEFORE A PROMOTION

While much of Walmart’s drug testing depends on the state you live in, especially as it concerns marijuana, you stand the best chance of getting drug tested when you’re up for a promotion. This makes sense from an employer’s perspective as they don’t want to promote employees whose drug use may become a problem down the road.

See Also: What’s the Walmart Employee Discount? Here’s ALL You Need to Know

Be Prepared To Pee in a Cup

Walmart will NOT ask you to do a drug test at your actual interview. (Side note: Here’s what you should wear to the interview)

But they may ask you to visit a local drug testing center on the same day as your interview, or a day later, where you will need to pee in a cup so your urine can be tested.

If they want to hire you, they’ll make your employment contingent on a satisfactory drug test.

PRO TIP: DID YOU GET AN EMAIL SAYING YOU’LL GET DRUG TESTED BEFORE ORIENTATION?

Don’t worry, this is an email that Walmart sends out to everyone who gets a job offer, even those who will not need to do a drug test. If the position that you were hired for requires a test, you’ll get separate instructions telling you where you need to go for the test and you’ll have 24 hours to get it done.

Walmart and Marijuana Have a Complicated Relationship

The relationship between Walmart employees and marijuana has been up for debate recently and Walmart seems to not be taking a side…yet.

Walmart recently fired an employee who tested positive for marijuana even though they lived in a state where pot was legal.

This led to a long legal battle.

Bottom-line, Walmart still DOES test for marijuana but it looks like this might be coming to an end.

Stay tuned.

Walmart Will Perform Random Drug Tests

Walmart reserves the right to perform random drug tests on employees.

From my research, “random tests” are more in-line with a manager calling for a drug test if they feel one is warranted.

If you decline to take a random drug test, Walmart will consider it a positive test result and reserves the right to terminate your employment.

Expect a Drug Test After an Accident or “Incident”

Similar to Amazon, Walmart reserves the right to ask you to take a drug test after an on-the-job accident or incident where they feel you might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Your employment can be terminated if your test results come back positive or you decline to take the test.

See Also: 9 Smart Ways to Save Money at Walmart

Also…Expect Them To Do a Background Check

In order to limit the risk of new hires, Walmart will perform a background check on you during the interview/hiring process.

They’ll check your record to see if you have any misdemeanor or felony convictions in the past 7 years.

If you have a spotty record, especially a violent record, they’ll typically exclude you from their pool of job candidates.

Ask the Reader: Have you ever taken a drug test for employment at Walmart? What information am I missing? Let me know below, thanks.

By Kyle James