Garmin shoppers question Amazon deliveries after empty-box reports

Garmin buyers are warning each other after reports of expensive watches arriving from Amazon with the device missing from the box. The most striking case involves a Fenix 8 Pro order that allegedly arrived empty twice, with the second box opened in front of the delivery driver.

The story started with a Reddit post from a Garmin buyer who said they ordered a Fenix 8 Pro from Amazon and received an empty box. Amazon arranged a replacement, but that delivery was delayed, so the buyer placed another same-day order for the same watch.

That is where the story gets stranger. According to the buyer, the second package was opened in front of the delivery driver and the Garmin box was empty again. After that, they ordered directly from Garmin instead.

The post has since been picked up by a local news report, which has pushed the story beyond a normal Reddit complaint. It has also started a wider discussion among Garmin users about whether Amazon is still a safe place to buy expensive wearables.

This does not look like a Garmin issue

The important point here is that the complaint is not really about Garmin. The watch itself is not the problem, and there is nothing to suggest Garmin shipped an empty retail box.

This is about the delivery chain around high-value electronics. A Fenix 8 Pro is expensive, compact and easy to remove from its packaging. That makes it exactly the kind of product where a missing item can turn into a painful dispute between buyer, seller and delivery network.

The original buyer’s account also lines up with the concern many people already have about ordering small premium electronics online. Watches, phones, earbuds, cameras and computer parts are valuable enough to attract problems, but small enough to disappear without much effort.

For Garmin users, the awkward part is that Amazon is often the most convenient route. It may offer fast delivery, easy ordering and good stock availability. But if something goes wrong, the refund process can become far more stressful than the purchase itself.

Other Garmin users report similar experiences

The newer discussion around the news report includes several users sharing similar stories. One person said they ordered a Forerunner 955 Solar from Amazon UK to New Zealand and received an empty box. Another said they bought a high-end Garmin, only to find that the retail box inside the sealed Amazon parcel had already been opened and was empty.

That does not prove a widespread issue. It does, however, show that this is not the kind of story Garmin buyers immediately dismiss as impossible. Enough people have had odd experiences with expensive Amazon deliveries that the thread turned into a broader warning.

Some commenters suggested the problem could involve returns being placed back into stock without proper checks. Others speculated about theft somewhere in the warehouse or delivery process. The honest answer is that nobody really can prove exactly where the watches went missing.

Buying direct may feel safer for expensive watches

The obvious advice is to consider buying directly from Garmin or from a trusted physical retailer when the device costs hundreds or even thousands. That will not eliminate every possible problem, but it may reduce the number of parties involved if something goes wrong.

There is also a simple practical step for buyers. If you are receiving an expensive watch from Amazon, it may be worth recording the unboxing, checking the package weight and opening it as soon as possible. That might feel excessive, but empty-box disputes can become messy very quickly!