Asked for Diwali sweets, got flooded with costly COD orders: How influencer's viral post turned into delivery nightmare

A Madurai content creator left his home after followers used his address to send unsolicited cash-on-delivery orders, including expensive appliances and food. The deliveries continued despite his plea to stop, and his whereabouts are now unclear.

A festive request made on social media has forced a Madurai-based content creator to leave his home after followers began sending a stream of unsolicited cash-on-delivery (COD) orders to his address.

Veeramani, who is known for his local slang and humorous online videos, had shared his residential address in West Anuppanadi, Madurai, in the hope that a follower would send him a box of sweets for Deepavali, according to PTI.

Instead, some followers allegedly used the address to place a series of COD orders in his name. Delivery personnel from e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart reportedly turned up at his residence with expensive electronic items, including washing machines, refrigerators, smartphones and televisions. One television order was reportedly valued at ₹1.69 lakh.

Veeramani had neither placed the orders nor had the money to pay for them. He therefore could not accept the consignments or share the OTPs required to complete the deliveries.

The pranks reportedly extended beyond household goods. Some users also shared screenshots online claiming to have ordered heavy equipment, including JCB excavators and military tanks worth ₹70 crore.

Food delivery executives from Swiggy and Zomato also allegedly arrived at his residence with orders placed by others. Distressed by the repeated deliveries, Veeramani posted a video appealing to his followers to stop the pranks. In the video, he said, "I am suffering a lot after requesting a sweet box. I bow at your feet... Please stop ordering. I am under severe pressure."

However, the deliveries reportedly continued despite his appeal.

When reporters and other social media influencers visited his residence in Anuppanadi, they found the house locked. Neighbours said Veeramani had left the premises after facing persistent harassment from delivery personnel arriving at different hours.

In his latest social media reels, the influencer said, “I am travelling. No one can find my address. Now, no one can control me now.” Veeramani's current whereabouts remain unclear, while calls to the phone number listed publicly by him are reportedly being blocked.

Who bears the cost?

When a prank COD order is refused at the doorstep, the shipment is generally classified as a Return to Origin (RTO), meaning it is sent back to the seller.

The seller can incur costs for both the forward delivery and the return journey, despite not completing the sale. According to Amazon Shipping India's guide on RTO, sellers typically bear the cost of both legs of the shipment and do not earn revenue from the refused order.

However, the seller does not necessarily have to absorb every charge. E-commerce platforms may reimburse certain fees depending on their fulfilment arrangements and policies. Amazon India's seller policy, for instance, provides reimbursements for specified charges on undelivered and customer-rejected shipments fulfilled through its Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), Easy Ship and Seller Flex services.

These include referral fees, while eligible shipping, weight-handling, pick-and-pack and technology fees are also reimbursed depending on the fulfilment model.

The logistics partner is generally responsible for transporting the parcel to the customer and returning it to the seller if delivery is refused. The cost of these services is governed by its agreement with the seller or e-commerce platform.

Amazon Shipping India notes that an RTO can involve forward and reverse shipping charges, along with additional handling costs. Therefore, the courier company does not automatically bear the financial loss simply because the recipient refuses the parcel.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X