You can require them to arrange pick up at your home since they sent the wrong thing. It is not a regular return bound by their return policy. Nice to have nicer set, but if it will soon become unusable because it’s too heavy, then I’d keep shopping.

I would return it and insiistt heey come ppiick itt up since it was their eeerrioftf. Maybe they will say Oh just keep it and send you the correct set. Something similar happened to me although it was only shampoo. I now have enough shampoo and conditioner to last a lifetime.

Seriously, you will not be happy with a set that is too heavy for you.

It wouldn't be right to retain the mistake when what you paid for was different and less expensive (if I understand what's being said).

Not so, Elmer. Often, if the supplier makes a mistake (like this one), they must make good on it, and the usual method is to tell the customer to keep the wrong item and then the supplier corrects the mistake by filling the order properly. No fault on the part of the buyer. Cost of the merchandise is immaterial.

Sometimes the supplier does request that the wrong shipment be returned to them, yes. But if that would be a hardship for the buyer, then the supplier ought to make arrangements for the return. I'd be interested to learn what a supplier like Williams Sonoma will do in this case...

I have a couple Williams-Sonoma within a reasonable driving distance, so if I do decide to take it back I'll take it back to the store. Mainly because I want my refund receipt in my hand, I don't want to take any chances with that amount of money. It's really nice stuff but dang it's H-E-A-V-Y. We were curious and put the 11" skillet on the scale -- it was slightly over 5 pounds!

It is my understanding that often strength training (weightlifting) is recommended for older people. IDK if you are older, but either way it doesn't hurt to build a little more strength. The weights I use are plates for barbells, and dumbbells, but it is the same weight whether it is a skillet or an official 'weight'. And the more you use it, the easier it becomes to handle and the heavier you can lift (up to a point, you probably shouldn't try to lift the entire stove with the skillet on it).

Amazon recently sent a misdelivered box of face glops to me. I reported it to them and they told me just to keep or dispose of it. So in your situation I'd contact WS and explain; and go with whatever they decide regarding keeping the set you were sent if you decide that would be acceptable to you. I would definitely return it in person and get a receipt if it comes to that.

Return them and get what works for you. No matter how nice, if the pans are too heavy, then why keep them?

If you think that the pots/pans are heavy now wait until you have food in them and you're draining a liquid from them or tipping them for basting or trying to dry them after washing they may not only be heavy but may become very unwieldy.

You probably got the wrong order and someone else got yours. They may even just tell you to keep them then send you the correct items. It does happen...

" Not so, Elmer. Often, if the supplier makes a mistake (like this one), they must make good on it, "

Baloney. This is a question of having standards of personal honesty and wanting to have self-respect for trying to do the right thing.

An extreme hypothetical, you order and pay for an 8 year old Nissan Cube from Carvana. The truck comes and presents a 2 year old BMW 5 series and asks you to sign properly completed papers for the BMW so he can drive away. Do you speak up or, as too many people do, remain silent and pocket the mistake?

The OP said " but OTOH I got some really expensive cookware at a (relative) bargain price, " . To which I reply - no you didn't. You got a mistaken shipment. Keeping it and saying nothing is stealing it.

If she contacts the seller and they offer that outcome, that's different. An honest person informs the seller of the mistake. What happens is the seller's decision, not the person who felt she won the lottery.

I think Roxanna’s only mistake was to say ”Not so, Elmer,” as I don’t see that you two are disagreeing.

I agree wirh Elmer that the eithical thing to do is report it and see how they want to handle it, and I agree with Roxanna that the company should make it right.

In this case we’re talking four figures though, so I HIGHLY doubt they'll say "just keep it and we'll send the correct items."

Who is a troll?

If you are trying to live an honest life, call and explain that you didnt get your correct order. wouldn’t you call if you received an inferior product?

Excellent…happy cooking!👍🏻

Good resolution, all 'round.

Glad it worked out.

One note though-I suspect this expectation "Often, if the supplier makes a mistake (like this one), they must make good on it, and the usual method is to tell the customer to keep the wrong item and then the supplier corrects the mistake by filling the order properly" comes from Amaz. which often does this with items that are not very costly. I am not aware of this being common and it was unheard of for most of my life until the aforementioned supplier.

A person has no obligation to pay for or return unsolicited items in the mail no matter what the cost. I learned this back in the day of Book of the Month. I got some craft books and then canceled but they kept sending books. I finally got them to quit when I let them know not only was I not going to send them back by writing return to sender, I was going to give them away because the federal government said I could. Later I was using REI credits to get some boot sock liners for the H of the time and REI sent me a very nice sleeping bag as well. Expensive. I called and they said oh well. When a company is honest I would contact them because it is the nice thing to do but I have no moral or legal reason to do so.

patriciae

The law allows you to treat unordered merchandise as a gift. This harkens back to the days when book clubs and the like would send books and then demand payment if they were not returned.

If an item you received was not an illegal marketing ploy but rather a shipping mixup and honest error, I believe there is a moral, as opposed to legal, reason to notify the company, and to work with them if they want the item returned. You, of course, have no obligation to spend your own money on shipping, they should send a prepaid label and have the item picked up. And of course if the company tells you that you may keep it you may happily do so.

Nice looking set of cookware, porkchop! Glad you found what you wanted.

If you get some thing accidentally are you morally obliged to go to all the trouble of packing it up again, contacting the company and arranging with them to send it back? That would be a complicated process. We once got a large order of Benedictine and Brandy instead of the Benedictine we ordered. The company acted like we were thieves or something and did not make it easy to send the wrong stuff back. They in fact wanted to pretend that it was our mistake. Well we sent it back by having the specialist carrier take it when he delivered us the correct order-liquor takes a specialist carrier-heavens knows what he did with it. It was a huge bother.

patriciae

If you get some thing accidentally are you morally obliged to go to all the trouble of packing it up again, contacting the company and arranging with them to send it back?

Yes, you are (IMHO) morally obligated to contact them and let them know. If you knew it was an accidental delivery you would not really have to unpack it, if you do so, then yes (IMHO) repack it. Most of the burden of sending it back should be on the company. They should pay for and send a return label, and pay for and arrange pickup at a time that is convenient for you.

I am sorry the liquor company treated you that way. I don't think most companies make that mistake. I also think that if a company does not assume the burden of the return process, and refuses to pay for the label and pickup, and treats you, the innocent party, as if you have done something wrong, then (to me) the moral obligation shifts away from you. You do not have to pay for the return.

And of course if they say it is ok for you to keep it, you may happily do so.

All the back and forth about moral obligation is a moot point in relation to my original post -- I took the set back to W.S. today and got my money back.

You are in fact working for the erring company for free. Dont they owe you something for doing their job for them? Not just being polite but some sort of boot? They screwed up big time and you are supposed to make it right for them? How about more than a thanks? We were treated rudely although they did make their mistake good. I appreciated REI just saying keep the bag or what ever. No work on my part. I doubt they are the same company today though. That was before they took a turn to the dark side. How much unpaid work should I do to get a company's unwanted merchandise back to them? Do I use my expensive gas and time to drive their mistake to one of their stores? That isn't morals. It is business.

patriciae

Seems to me we consumers are a bit spoiled these days about returns and obligations around them. Funny - I'm old enough to remember when hardly any stores would let you return something, and it was almost always a big hassle. Returns now are incredibly easy - mostly 😏