The Age of Online Shopping
Online shopping is all the rage these days. No longer do you have to travel to a store for the items you wish to purchase, but with a simple tap of your finger you can now have anything you want shipped right to your door.
For one mother, her daughter ordering items from Amazon was nothing out of the ordinary, but when one package arrived with a disturbing note inside, she was more than shocked…
An Exciting Day
Thirteen-year-old, April Dorsett lived with her parents Philip and Kim in the United King and was more than excited when she found a package waiting for her by the front door.
Not expecting anything in the mail, the thrill of a surprise package was almost too much for April.
A Surprise Gift
According to April’s father Philip, he had ordered her a make-up advent calendar as an early Christmas gift.
He had requested the invoice to say “Love from mum and dad.” However, the message said something else entirely.
The Shocking Note
Wondering if April had seen their note, both Kim and Philip asked if she had read their special message.
Confused, their daughter held up the invoice asking if this is what they had meant. It was in that moment, Kim realized something wasn’t right.
A Desperate Plea
On the invoice, scribbled in pencil, was a simple note stating “Help me please, PMP staff are evil.” Shocked and disgusted, Kim and Philip decided they needed to find out more about the note.
They first learned that PMP was the recruitment agency that Amazon used to hire people in their distribution centers. But why did the person packing the box need to reach out for help?
Worried about Child Labor
According to Kim, her young daughter was immediately concerned.
Being an animal activist and someone who was very sensitive to the plight of others, April worried that Amazon may have employed workers in a sweatshop environment.
Could it be possible this was a real cry for help?
Reaching Out to Amazon
Wanting to ease her daughter’s fears, Kim decided to contact Amazon regarding the note.
She shared a photo of the note on Amazon’s Facebook page, as well as sent a message regarding what happened.
Is it possible this could be some elaborate prank?
A Passionate Plea
Kim wrote the following on Amazon’s social media page:
“My 13 year old daughter received her advent calendar today from her dad. She was all excited to open it because it was addressed to her. She found this inside of her box and is worried amazon are running sweat shops… I’ve told her it’s probably a prank but can you just confirm this Amazon.”
The Response
According to Kim, it didn’t take long for Amazon to answer back. However, the response was less than satisfying.
You won’t believe how Aisha, an Amazon representative responded.
Nothing Personal
Aisha replied in a comment, “Oh no! I am so sorry your daughter received this note in her package, Kim. We’d like for our team to look into this for you. Please fill out this form at your earliest convenience. Thank you.”
Talk about a canned and impersonal reply. Did Amazon have something to hide?
Surprised and Suspicious
Kim was shocked and slightly suspicious that Amazon refused to answer her question directly. She told the Daily Mail that friends of hers had told her stories about Amazon’s employment practices that gave her pause.
She truly wanted to believe it was a prank, but it could be possible something more sinister was afoot.
Disturbed Behavior
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Kim had this to say, “I thought it must be a prank and I was overreacting, but then people pointed out all the stories about Amazon lately.”
She continued, “This is quite worrying. It’s the sort of thing you hear about happening in sweatshops in China.”
Worked to Death
Recently, Amazon has been making headlines for their work practices. Back in November 2017, an investigation was launched regarding Amazon’s treatment of its workers at a warehouse in Tilbury, Essex in the United Kingdom.
In the end, Amazon was accused of working its staff to the point of exhaustion that they needed an ambulance. Sounds like a great place of employment.
Horrible Findings
The investigation also found that workers in Amazon’s warehouse had hourly targets they had to meet that were beyond unreasonable. Not only did they have to pack every 30 seconds, but their bathroom breaks were heavily monitored as well.
Some workers were even caught falling asleep standing up. No one should have to work under such conditions.
A State of Denial
Of course, when the story broke, Amazon denied most of the allegations. The company claimed the findings were inconsistent with the experience of the other thousands of employees they employed across Britain.
It seems like there is more to this story than good ‘ole Amazon is letting on.
More Digging
After some more investigating, it was revealed that PMP, the agency that employed Amazon’s distribution centers, was owned by a company known as Cordant Group PLC.
The Cordant Group took the situation very seriously and made it very clear they weren’t involved in any illegal labor.
On the Record
Not wanting to maintain the negative publicity. PMP chose to make a public statement in response to Kim’s inquiry over the note.
They said, “PMP Recruitment employs over 100,000 people across a range of clients, many of whom have stayed with us for a number of years or return each year during our peak trading period, so we do not recognize the comment made as being an accurate or fair representation of the employee experience we provide.”
Taking the Situation Seriously
PMP concluded their statement by expression they provide various channels to their employees who have concerns regarding their work environment.
This includes a confidential helpline. According to PMP, they haven’t received any complaints from employees and planned to investigate the note on the invoice in conjunction with Amazon.
Employees Come Forward
Despite PMP’s denial of the allegations, several employees took to social media to express their experiences working for the agency.
One employee had this to say, “I used to work for PMP, I worked hard and didn’t stand around chatting. One day, a manager saw me chatting to a Romanian guy for a minute, the next day I was told not to come in again.”
No Resolution…Yet
Unfortunately, Kim and her daughter April may never know the truth behind the disturbing note they received in their package.
While both Amazon and PMP say the investigation is ongoing, it’s possible that we may never know why the employee put such a note in their package. Hopefully, he or she has survived the great evil of his employers and made an escape.