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Stolen Packages vs. Good Samaritan; This Amazon Guy Crossed the Line to Do What Was Needed

February 6, 2022 | 9:32 AM
in NEWS
67

By Suzanne Rock

With so many negative things going on in the City these days I thought I’d share my story.

I live in a non-doorman building on the Upper West Side. Recently, on a few separate occasions, we have had packages stolen from our lobby. Most of the time the thieves simply steal the packages, but the last time they decided to tear them open and leave what they didn’t want in a mess on the floor. Several non-doorman buildings on our block are having the same problem.

As I was leaving my building the other day, I ran into an Amazon delivery person that I’ve seen before. A friendly twenty-something, his name is Matthew. I told him about the recent robberies. He said he wasn’t surprised, and told me his story:

The day before, when he had finished his shift and was on his way home, he noticed a man on the 86th Street subway station platform with an Amazon bin. Knowing something wasn’t right (because Amazon delivery people don’t use the subway), Matthew approached him. The man told him he worked for Amazon. Matthew asked for ID, which of course he couldn’t produce. The man then fled, leaving the bin which was filled with Amazon and Federal Express packages. Some were torn apart revealing new iPhones. Matthew said he was especially concerned because the Amazon packages had a specific delivery date on them and he knew it was important that they be delivered right away. So…he delivered the packages. Even the Federal Express packages. And he also went to the police. So much for getting home on time…

Oh yeah – Amazon gave him a $100 bonus.

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Lady Di
Lady Di
1 year ago

Shame on Amazon but with Jeff Bezos’ reputation of being miserly, I’m sadly not surprised; Amazon doesn’t deserve decent and hardworking people like Matthew who risked his life by challenging the guy in the subway. Maybe some of the folks who received their item(s) will find a way to show their appreciation….

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Leon
Leon
1 year ago
Reply to  Lady Di

Really? Shame on Amazon? Yes, they probably could have given him more but it is not like they did nothing. Why is everything always so black and white?

Kudos to this good man. I am very lucky to live in a doorman building. I’m not sure what the solution is here. Maybe turn empty stores into buildings with lockboxes where packages can be left and picked up with a code?

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UWS_lifer
UWS_lifer
1 year ago
Reply to  Leon

Does $100 sound like a proportionate amount considering he probably saved over $10,000 in packages (probably more)?? Not to mention, he risked his own safety and went above and beyond his job responsibilities by delivering the packages on his own time.

Sometimes things are black and white.

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sg
sg
1 year ago
Reply to  UWS_lifer

And this isn’t one of them, but yeah Amazon could have given more. But way to misdirect a good article about the actions of one young man, so that you could rant about the “greed” of successful people.

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Carmella Ombrello
Carmella Ombrello
1 year ago
Reply to  Leon

Amazon has lockbox locations where people can go to pick up their packages. There was one in the lobby of the Chase bank that recently moved from the north side of 86th & Columbus to the south side; I don’t know if the new location has that amenity. If I’m not mistaken, there was also a lockbox location inside the D’Agostino’s on Columbus in the 90’s.

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michael
michael
1 year ago

Amazing story. We had someone try to steal our packages. The next time I commented to the delivery person. He said, “It doesn’t surprise me. They follow us around. They’ll grab things as soon as we leave.”

No enforcement results in higher prices to the consumer. In the end, we still pay for it.

Thanks WSR for the story. I love reading about people who work to maintain the social fabric. He deserves MUCH more than $100.

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dc
dc
1 year ago

He deserved a bigger reward!
Thank you, Matthew

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Juxcallmebob
Juxcallmebob
1 year ago

Amazon should have added another zero or two to the bonus. He went above and behind his regular duties. Great job Matthew.

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Juxcallmebob
Juxcallmebob
1 year ago
Reply to  Juxcallmebob

*above and beyond

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Jen
Jen
1 year ago

Fantastic job, Matthew. You are a great person and your work ethics are an example to all of us.

Of course as many others I wish that Mathew’s job was recognized by Amazon with something bigger than a $100 check.

WSR, if you can get Matthew’s supervisor’s contact info, I will definitely call. I’m sure many others will too.

Thank you, WSR, for your report about this wonderful person. It is truly a ray of light in today’s grime high-strung reality.

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Steph
Steph
1 year ago

What a great guy! With all the $ Amazon would have lost in lost packages, you’d think they would have given him more than $100, yikes!

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Max
Max
1 year ago

Thank you Matthew, you went beyond and it shows your true character.
I hope this story gets around and you get an amazing job offer. The reward should have been much higher but I am confidence Matthew has an amazing future ahead of him with this work ethic. T
Thank you again.

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Linda H
Linda H
1 year ago

FedEx should’ve given him a bonus too. Great job Matthew. I wonder how to combat the robberies. Sad state of affairs for all involved.

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Joan
Joan
1 year ago

Amazon should have given him $1000. He saved the company a lot of money and created good will with the customers. Shame on Jeff Bezos. Also, even though he doesn’t work for Fedex, he deserves a bonus from them as well for delivering their packages.

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David
David
1 year ago
Reply to  Joan

Amazon’s reward was stingy! Shameful!

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Kim
Kim
1 year ago

THANK YOU MATTHEW!!!! I knight you the official UWS Friends of Award for keeping our purchases safe. I have lost packages also (multiple). I hope you get more than that $100 and end up on the Today Show like the UPS *new Dad* recently who took the time to offer words of encouragement into the door slot on his route .. tell us how we can support YOU!!! We are essentially all “neighbors” and if we don’t help each other, no one else will. PLUS it feels good!

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Drew
Drew
1 year ago

Hi,
In my UWS brownstone lobbY I found a stack of packages for people who lived not in my building but nearby. I called Amazon Customer Service to come pick them up and deliver them correctly. The operator said just keep them.
No I said I’ll find their phones online, call them, and arrang for them to get their packages. PLEASE DON’E HE SAID, IT COULD BE DANGEROUS. Keep them. I didn’t. I went down stairs and got them. I couldn’t resist part of what he said, I opened them. No fancy fur hats or chashmer sweaters, no temptation. They were things people needed, some for health. I retaped the packages, hit the street and delivered the packages. But in the past I have called folks and met them on the street to give them their things or when to heavy buzzed them in to my lobby to pick packages up. We are neighbors, I believe in being neighborly!

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lynn
lynn
1 year ago
Reply to  Drew

Oh Drew. A few weeks ago a man buzzed me from downstairs around 9:00 pm and said they got my Amazon package by mistake and he asked me to come downstairs. I refused and he asked me to buzz him in so he could bring it inside, which I also refused to do. Just for the record, I hadn’t ordered anything from Amazon. I’d like to think I’m very mindful of my surroundings, but last week when I came home from work a man appeared out of nowhere and shoved a piece of cardboard in the front door of my building to stop it from closing. I just happened to turn around and see what he was doing as I was going through a 2nd door. If you’re walking around the neighborhood delivering packages and going into other buildings someone could be watching you too. There are so many scams going on right now. Please be careful. 🙁

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life long UWSider
life long UWSider
1 year ago
Reply to  Drew

for Drew–You opened packages addressed to other people??? You call that neighborly? The fact that you made some effort to get them to their rightful owners does not redeem you. I’m shocked. Glad I have REALLY good neighbors.

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Elliot Podwill
Elliot Podwill
1 year ago

Only$100? The items in the bin would be worth many many times $100. In addition, he placed himself at risk physically. Also, he put in extra hours of work returning the stolen goods.

Amazon and its owner aren’t exactly poor. $1000 is a more fitting bonus. Any way we as a group can convey this belief to Amazon?

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chrism
chrism
1 year ago

What an amazing thing to do although dangerous as well. He could have been hurt by the same knife that was used to cut open the packages.He deserved a lot more that $100!

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From the bleachers
From the bleachers
1 year ago

Matthew deserves a scholarship to college.

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Huh
Huh
1 year ago
Reply to  From the bleachers

Why are you assuming that Matthew has not gone to college?
Or maybe he has no interest in college.
He did good, went above and beyond and Amazon should be more generous with him. But full college scholarships are worth $25,000-250,000
Let’s keep some perspective here.

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Debbie
Debbie
1 year ago

Amazon should have given him a lot more than $100!
Greedy egomaniacal Bezos is asking the city of Rotterdam to
dissemble an existing bridge so the new
yacht he’s having built can pass through.
What hubris! I’ve been boycotting Amazon
for years. Bezos has enough money to do some
good in the world but he spends it on
yachts and space travel to aggrandize himself.
He is an example of all that’s wrong in this
country right now.

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Jean C. Joachim
Jean C. Joachim
1 year ago

Greatstory!! This guy deserves more. What a great human being!

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Wijmlet
Wijmlet
1 year ago

Bravo! Thank you, Matthew,

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JS
JS
1 year ago

Great story…. What a wonderful guy!!
Glad Amazon recognized his good work ethic.

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LL
LL
1 year ago

I mean, I live in non-doorman building, between a few other non-doorman buildings. My building gets a bunch of packages for the building next door. And we sometimes bring their packages inside the lobby so no one will steal. And then we have to gp to their building to let them know we have their packages.

Anyway. Matthew should have gotten a better bonus
Thank you, Matthew.

Also. I have spoken to a few Amazon employees at work, and it is HARD. Like. Really hard.

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RWC
RWC
1 year ago

He is New Yorker of the week! Anyone have connections with NY1 that can let them know this good Samaritan did such a good deed.
Maybe a go fund me so he can be rewarded with a little bit extra.

1
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Mkin
Mkin
1 year ago

Someone who is in a role of making hires or owns a business should reach out to a quality young man like this an offer him a job. There are so few of substance left in this city today and when you find people like Mathew you hire them.

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RWC
RWC
1 year ago

Susan R
Since you’re familiar with this fellow in the story can you set up a go fund me give so we all can give the guy a little bit extra reward. In the subway He put his life in danger to save packages!

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SRock
SRock
1 year ago
Reply to  RWC

Hi RMC – I’d love to set up a Go Fund Me page, especially since Mathew has a newborn, but that’s above and beyond my technical talents! It took me over an hour yesterday to figure out Instagram and post something there. Do you know anyone that might be able create a Go Fund Me?
Thank you!

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Huh
Huh
1 year ago
Reply to  RWC

GoFund me campaigns are designed to help people with specific needs.
Why are you assuming that he’s in need? People are making all sorts of judgements here based on what–That he’s a delivery person? Sorry, but this is a kind of profiling.

Matthew deserves recognition and probably a bigger reward.
I know people mean well, but why must the first inclination be to throw money at people who may or may not need it especially where there are so many people in immediate dire straits?

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SRock
SRock
1 year ago
Reply to  Huh

Hi – HUH
Thinking about it, I do agree with you. An appropriate bonus from Amazon would be the perfect ending to this story.
Thank you for your perspective.

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Larry K
Larry K
1 year ago

Fed Ex should also reach out to him and give him a well deserved reward!!

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Olivia H
Olivia H
1 year ago

Just sent this to a friend who works for Amazon Corporate. This guy deserves some accolades!

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NYYgirl
NYYgirl
1 year ago
Reply to  Olivia H

Thank you for doing that!

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Grace Espin
Grace Espin
1 year ago

Aww your son and I are proud of you!!!! Love you baby, good job!!!! Manhattans hero!!!

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Faith
Faith
1 year ago

They need cameras prominently displayed with a sight saying, “Smile! you’re on camera.”

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Suzanne R.
Suzanne R.
1 year ago
Reply to  Faith

Hi We do have cameras, but these people are pretty clever – wearing masks and hoodies makes it hard to get a clear picture.

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Susan
Susan
1 year ago

Thanks for sharing this story! It’s a real pick-me-up, and more so in today’s environment. Special thanks to Matthew. What a good soul he is… He probably didn’t go the extra mile (no pun intended) for any monetary reward, it is who he is as a person. It restores our faith in humanity! Would be even nicer to see more recognition about this.

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Kitty
Kitty
1 year ago

Bravo, Matthew! We need more people like you in this world, who ‘do the right thing’…

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Eleanor Haray
Eleanor Haray
1 year ago

Lovely guy. Amazon not so much. Figures!:)

Ellie

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Jennifer
Jennifer
1 year ago

He should get more than $100–more like $1,000 AND a promotion! Talk about sharp eyed, Caring deeply about both companies and their customers, taking immediate action AND calling police—all ion rapid succession. Impressive.

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Wendi Paster
Wendi Paster
1 year ago

That’s great to read and a lot better than my Amazon/Whole Foods delivery guy story: he stole my tote bag that was outside the door for about five minutes that contained my laptop! (And yes, Amazon has yet to help apprehend the guy.)

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Mark Moore
Mark Moore
1 year ago

This guy’s great. If you have a problem with Amazon deliveries have stuff delivered to one of the stores that has an Amazon locker. Whole Foods, Dagostinos and some other places have them. Then you get your stuff there instead.

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Annmarie Joyce
Annmarie Joyce
1 year ago

That was lovely of him. The bonus – that is like Elon Musk – the billionaire – offering that kid 5k. Amazon should have done more.

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Cori Ellison
Cori Ellison
1 year ago

I hope that Matthew will reap karmic rewards far beyond that $100!

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zorba
zorba
1 year ago

Matthew should receive more compensation than that. Particularly in this time good Samaritans are so needed

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AC
AC
1 year ago

Great story of a truly great New Yorker. This story should get a lot of traction — I agree with the commenter who says that Matthew should be NY 1’s New Yorker of the week.

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David
David
1 year ago

Just awful. We have packages stolen in our building all the time as well, despite double doors to key in or get buzzed in. I had no idea the delivery people were being FOLLOWED! How disturbing! Thank you for sharing this.

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Cam
Cam
1 year ago

Thanks for this story and THANK YOU to Matthew! I hope this story gets back to Amazon AND Fed Ex so Matthew can receive a bigger reward than $100. Also, thanks to all Upper West Siders for staying vigilant and reporting these terrible package thieves!

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JM
JM
1 year ago

I wish we heard more of these stories because I know they are happening across the city. Thanks for sharing!

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soldier
soldier
1 year ago

The irony: the stolen things end up on Amazon! Amazon is the fence that sells CVS’ etc looters’ loot.
So Bezos wins either way.
And yes, Matthew deserves a lot more $$$ – from the customers he helps. Do the right thing, UWS!

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JC
JC
1 year ago

There are Amazon pickups all over the UWS, Whole Foods for one. If you live in a non-doorman building, you have to do what you have to do to get your packages.

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Kris
Kris
1 year ago

Great story but I should thank Bezos could afford to give him a bigger bonus than $100. I would think he deserves much more. Thank you Matthew.

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Gail Smith
Gail Smith
1 year ago

Thanks for being a helper.

0
Reply
uplifted
uplifted
1 year ago

Matthew should live in UWS with us. He is definitely a good apple!

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sailgirl
sailgirl
1 year ago

Great story! Bravo Matthew! I live in a non-doorman building and we have had plenty of thefts. They rip open the packages and take what they want. Even my girl scout cookies! We have a locked package room and cameras, but they get in or grab them from the lobby. Upon review, they cannot be easily identified. The building management does not care and put up a sign that says “Not responsible for lost or stolen items.” And even police reports lead to nothing. Amazon has always replaced my items. I have noticed they take pictures and send them after they deliver them now.

Our building often gets packages for other buildings’ residents and I like to be a good neighbor and give them to the super or doorman of the building. Unopened. I wish more people were that kind – I have many “lost” but delivered packages that were never returned. They are almost always from a carrier other than Amazon…Kudos to hard-working Amazon workers like Matthew.

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Emily Kern
Emily Kern
1 year ago

Stop shopping at Amazon! Don’t make it your default! So many other companies with better prices, better customer service, better employers.

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Pat
Pat
1 year ago
Reply to  Emily Kern

Who has better prices? They have become a problem..

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Pat
Pat
1 year ago

ONLY $100?!?!? Disgraceful!
What a good soul.

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Chuck
Chuck
1 year ago

I saw was a man fill up a very large plastic bag at Marshalls 78th street. A few minutes later I saw him escorted to the back by a security man Spoke to a manager later He told me the merchandise was retrieved but they simply let the man go. Waste of time to arrest him when the court will let him go.

It is a sign of the times.

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D-Rex
D-Rex
1 year ago

Mathew – Great New Yorker!!!

More Matthews are needed in this world.

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Darnell Jefferson
Darnell Jefferson
1 year ago

Matthew Rocks!! AMAZON Should give him a promotion as well.

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