UPDATED: Student unions at various Canadian universities receiving anonymous packages from Amazon

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Students’ Union is now the next on a list of student unions in Canada that have been allegedly receiving anonymous packages from Amazon containing sex toys, among other various items.

“Over the last few months the Students’ Union has received a number of anonymously sent packages from amazon.com,” Kanwar Brar, president of Students’ Union, said in an email.

Allegedly, the packages were sent to the Students’ Union from an unknown, third-party, making it impossible to track down the sender or return the products.

“Despite our best efforts, customer service representatives at Amazon indicate there is no way to identify the sender or return the items. We are working to donate or find appropriate recipients for the items received,” Brar said in an email.

Laurier’s Students’ Union, however, seem to be one post-secondary organization amongst multiple receiving these anonymous packages from Amazon.

“We are now aware that this curious phenomenon is occurring at other student organizations across Canada,” Brar said in an email.

According to CBC, Dalhousie in Halifax, St. Francis Xavier in Antigonish, Ryerson in Toronto and the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg have also confirmed that they have received unknown packages from Amazon since this past fall.

According to an article published by The Eyeopener earlier this month, Ryerson’s Students’ Union (RSU) have received packages containing various products, including electronics as well as dildos and vibrators.

“…the first package contained wireless headphones, a Wi-Fi range extender and a tiny toy tank. There was no information on the package indicating who the purchaser was. Nyaga said she thought it was strange and that the box must have been sent by mistake,” read the story published by the Eyeopener.

The Eyeopener also said that RSU tried to “find out who the sender was. Amazon told them it was a privacy issue to reveal that information. Amazon also refused to take the packages back since the RSU was not their original purchaser.”

Shawn Wiskar, University of Regina Students’ Union vice-president of student affairs, told CBC that their organization has received approximately 15 packages and 40 individual items since November. In the packages were items such as iPad cases, a kitchen scale and various sex toys.

Altogether, Wiskar estimated that his Students’ Union has received items worth over $1,000.

Feb. 3 update – a spokesperson from Amazon released the following statement to The Cord:

“We are investigating inquiries from consumers who have received unsolicited packages as this would violate our policies. We have confirmed the sellers involved did not receive names or shipping addresses from Amazon. We remove sellers in violation of our policies, withhold payments, and work with law enforcement to take appropriate action.”