Amazon surprised quite a few people on Tuesday by sending them an email informing them that a surprise gift was on the way from their baby registries on the site. The problem with that is that most of the people who received the email do not have baby registries, babies, or significant others to share their surprise with. The email made it seem like someone had found your registry and felt the good will to buy something, though Amazon didn’t want to spoil it for ya entirely:
This was the email that many received, including myself, creating a mystery where several different scenarios cycled through the minds of people who got the message. Given the recent data breaches, including the massive Equifax situation that is still looming, the first thought is that this involved some massive phishing attack. The second thought is that somebody has already found a way to access your account, creating a baby registry with your information without your knowledge. It is silly, but that is definitely something that comes to mind. Luckily the real cause of the issue is nothing but a technical glitch according to a statement from Amazon to Buzzfeed:
“We are notifying affected customers. A technical glitch caused us to inadvertently send a gift alert e-mail earlier today. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”
So sadly there is no free gift on the way. There is no secret registry. And you did not somehow black out and steal someone’s baby in the night. People were still quite surprised and shared their reactions online:
https://twitter.com/smartly_pretty/status/910252071638700032
https://twitter.com/Psalm46Life/status/910255993703026688
Amazon just informed me that someone has purchased a gift from my baby registry. My baby is 21, and hopes it's a keg.
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) September 19, 2017
Amazon notified me that someone bought a gift from my baby registry. Shocked to learn I'm a father; hope his wishlist was mostly bourbon. 🥃
— Dan Engler (@DanEngler) September 19, 2017
Wait. Did other women also get an Amazon email saying that something had been purchased from their baby registry? My "baby" is 9 years old!
— Kate Ward 🙄 (@kateward) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/AmyIrenie/status/910253559060430848
…how about getting the Amazon baby registry email WHILE WATCHING A CLEARBLUE COMMERCIAL while ordering IVF meds! Vomit. Awful. Hate it. pic.twitter.com/dNrjRSnMda
— MK (@DCPhotog) September 19, 2017
That awkward moment when Amazon says someone bought you a gift from your baby registry that you def don't have bc you're def not pregnant pic.twitter.com/p2PRM6sDIq
— Anna Mitchell (@itsannacorinne) September 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/samkap/status/910237837651578880
I did except I DO actually have an Amazon baby registry. Read online that it was just a glitch, hopefully not a virus or phishing!
— Ashley (@Aggie_Ashley07) September 20, 2017
It’s good to know that this has nothing to do with phishing or hacking, but it also got a lot of people’s hopes up. The least Amazon could do is maybe deliver a baby to these folks or the priciest item on their wish list.