An Amazon customer has expressed fury after a home cooling item priced at just £14 was listed with a £199 delivery fee during the UK's red-weather alert heatwave. The heatwave is expected to peak on Thursday, June 25, with forecasters warning that temperatures could feel like 50°C in some areas.
Record-Breaking Heat and Red Warning
The UK experienced its warmest June day on record on Wednesday, June 24, when temperatures reached 36.1°C in Gosport, Hampshire, breaking a 50-year-old weather record. A red heat health warning, indicating "a risk to life for even the healthy population," remains in effect for much of southern England and Wales through Friday.
Jim Dale, senior meteorologist at British Weather Services, told the Mirror: "The heat index, which is a combination of temperature and humidity, could well be 10°C more than the actual air temperature. So when we say 40°C, if it ever reaches that, it will feel like 50°C, and that's why there's going to be a problem."
Outrageous Delivery Fee Sparks Backlash
As Britons scrambled to find ways to keep cool, a seller on Amazon was spotted offering an air conditioner hose—a large white tube used to ventilate rooms—for £12 with same-day or next-day delivery at an "obscene" £199. The seller, identified as Guangzhou Jincongdianzishangwu Youxiangongsi (trading as Manolyee), had no verified contact information online. The same delivery fee applied to other items like cooling pet mats, neck fans, and children's toys.
Amazon responded swiftly, stating: "Amazon has not raised delivery fees. This relates to one seller, who we're urgently investigating. No customer should have this kind of experience. Our Fair Pricing Policy strictly prohibit sellers from charging excessively high prices on products and shipping, and we take swift action against any seller who does not comply with this policy, up to and including account suspension. Customer satisfaction is our top priority. The customer was fully refunded when the seller cancelled the order, and we have reached out to apologise for this experience."
Customers Report Late Deliveries Despite Premium Fees
Several customers who paid the £199 delivery fee reported that their items did not arrive on time. One buyer said: "Paid over £200 in delivery charged to receive item on the same day because of red weather alert today and tomorrow. It hasn't arrived. Very disappointed. Won't be using Amazon again." Another added: "I ordered it because it was supposed to be next day. I log in today to check on time only to find that the next day is not 24 June, but July 9. Cancelling my order now."
Amazon confirmed that both customers were refunded after their orders could not be fulfilled, noting that "the fulfilment issues associated with this order were not due to the seller." The delivery price controversy comes as fans, air conditioners, blackout blinds, cooling blankets, and other items have sold out across multiple platforms during the heatwave.
