Possible scam?

[Aragarthiel]

My husband was expecting two packages today, one by FedEx and one by USPS. FedEx usually arrives early for us and they tend to do the drop-and-run thing so it wasn't unusual for me when I was in the shower and heard a vehicle pull up and then pull away again after a minute or two. When I got out, I went and got the package off the porch- but it had UPS symbols on it. Okay.

I opened it up and it's a laptop charger. I had to have one ordered last month but I received that one weeks ago (also by UPS), and this new one is not compatible with my laptop AFAIK. Mine has two little prongs going into the box part (I'm not good with hardware names, sorry) and the one they sent has three. What's even stranger is that in the yellow envelope thing was 1) a cardboard box with the laptop-to-box part wrapped in plastic, a bubble wrap sleeve placed on top of it, and the box-to-wall part of the cord OUTSIDE of the bubble wrap sleeve and 2) a two-pronged wall-to-box portion of a cord with no wrapping or anything. So now I have my old cord (laptop-to-box and two-pronged box-to-wall), the replacement I received weeks ago (same as the original), the one that was in the box in the envelope (laptop-to-box and three-pronged box-to-wall), and a random two-pronged box-to-wall.

The package is labelled from Best Buy (where we got the laptop from and it was serviced, so everything else came from there), and my husband actually received emails about it that I thought were spam, but the address on the package leads to a warehouse-looking place that may or may not be associated with Best Buy.

I'm not sure what to do with all this. Maybe it was sent in error, maybe not? I don't know.

[rvdammit]

UPs should have a parcel tracking thinger on their website. Put the parcel number in and see who sent it?

[csquared]

If the package is addressed to you, then you are under no obligation to return it.

If you are feeling generous, you can call Best Buy and see if they will issue a call tag. Or you can drop it off at Best Buy when you are near one.

[rvdammit]

If the package is addressed to you, then you are under no obligation to return it.

If you are feeling generous, you can call Best Buy and see if they will issue a call tag. Or you can drop it off at Best Buy when you are near one.

Local laws may vary, but a casual internet search for UK says that if it is truely unsolicited then you've got some free stuff, but if it's a duplicate despatch of the same item then it should be reuturned at the sender's expense.

[CyberLurch]

The package is labelled from Best Buy (where we got the laptop from and it was serviced, so everything else came from there), and my husband actually received emails about it that I thought were spam, but the address on the package leads to a warehouse-looking place that may or may not be associated with Best Buy.
:

The charger may be a 'compatible' model. Does the tip the laptop? Before trying to power the laptop with it check to make sure it's the correct voltage - this information is usually on a label on the charger, and should jibe with the information on the old charger (if you still have it). Sometimes a newer or compatible model might have the third prong when the original didn't, or vice-versa.

The fact that it came from a 'third party' warehouse might mean it was a drop shipment - essentially, ordered by Best Buy from the manufacturer or a logistics center and shipped directly to you.

[csquared]

Local laws may vary,

Yes, I should have noted, US law.