GaryK - 9:32 pm on Oct 22, 2010 (gmt 0)

If the merchant highlighted that no signature is required, as a purchase inducement, then I could see your point. Kind of like how I'm more tempted to use a merchant who advertises free shipping. But I've been all through what little they have to say about shipping and there's no mention of a signature not being required for orders less than $200, so I don't see how it would stimulate sales.

I dealt with someone at FedEx today who told me exactly what I suspected they would say. Which was they complied with the shipper's instructions to not require a signature which meant they were free to leave it on the porch. Their attitude makes a lot of sense to me and it seems quite reasonable.

My next step is to contact the merchant again and inform them of my plans to get in touch with Amazon directly in hopes of some relief. And barring that to initiate a charge back, if only to force them to take this more seriously.

Does this seem like a reasonable next step?

Thanks.