The OP's scenario sounds like a blatant fraudulent "vendor" stay away.
I love Amazon and buy there at least twice a month. I've started buying groceries on Amazon via Amazon fresh, very cool!
In all my years with Amazon I've only had big issues with a seller twice and each time was a nightmare with returning the merchandise. I've only returned stuff maybe 5-10 times. I usually just eat it and chalk it up to experience.
The last issue I had was with
a mannequin I bought for my studio, I've bought a couple before with no issues.
This mannequin came with hands from a foreign vendor that wouldn't attach to the arms. I rarely give reviews on Amazon, maybe once or twice a year or if I really like something or was really disappointed. It was a two month process with this seller of back and forth, new hands being sent that were wrong, then trying to get me to jerryrig it, etc. I finally gave up and sent it back on principle, paying $129 in shipping ( do you know how hard it is to find a box that fits a mannequin?) and when received they lied and said it was damaged.
I was so angry I gave them a scathing review.
Always go through Amazon when buying through them as I've heard nightmare stories of the majority of their vendors being dodgy flakes when dealing direct.