AN Amazon customer was horrified to discover a dead “lizard” had arrived along with her new dressing table.
Ellen Ressel accidentally touched the squished reptile as she unpackaged the furniture and then spent ages washing her hands.
The 28-year-old from Middlewich, Cheshire, took a picture of the deceased creature and posted it to Amazon’s website.
The IT worker wrote: “Thanks for the dead lizard, Amazon. Is this an extra you add to furniture now?”
The image showed a small squashed looking green reptile, with a thin tail and four legs, laying on top of some bubble wrap.
More pictures of the dead animal, show it sprawled on its back with its webbed limbs in the air.
She received the £50 item, which is dispatched and sold by Amazon UK, on Thursday (19 Apr) and said the ‘4 inch dead lizard’ was stuck between bits of wood inside the package.
After immediately phoning Amazon, Ellen says she received an apology from the company and a month’s extension of her Prime membership as compensation.
Speaking today, Ellen said: “I didn’t see it until I was halfway through getting the bits of wood out to build it.
“I lifted up a big bit and noticed something stuck underneath.
“I didn’t realise it was a lizard until i touched it and it fell onto the foam packaging – I was like WTF and obviously went and washed my hands a lot.”
She added: “I immediately rang Amazon who at first didn’t understand what I was saying and kept asking if it was damaged and I was like – no it’s not damaged, there’s a dead animal in it.”
“The lady on the phone just said they will raise it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“She originally tried to blame Parcelforce which is stupid as it was sandwiched between the pieces of wood.
“I’m surprised all they offered me was a one month Prime extension.”
She added: “The dressing table was a bit smaller than I expected but after wiping the lizard bits off it, I’m happy with it.”
The item is marked as an ‘Amazon’s choice’ item, meaning that it is highly recommended by the company for its price and good reviews.
According to conservation charity froglife, there are three species of lizard in the UK – the Common Lizard, the Sand Lizard and the Slow-Worm. Although Ellen described it as a lizard it may be a species of newt.
In 2016, another Amazon customer found dead mice inside the packaging of a flat-pack table she ordered.
Kat Kahramam saw some holes in the packaging when it arrived and said that three live mice jumped out of it, while another three were found dead in a nest they had made in the polystyrene inside.
Amazon declined to comment.
