A pair of Victoria student societies are on the receiving end of what would appear to be an expensive practical joke.
Student societies at the University of Victoria and Camosun College have been receiving mysterious parcels in recent weeks, containing everything from electronic items to sex toys.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say anything鈥檚 worth over $50 at this point, but it鈥檚 pretty substantial,鈥� said Michael Glover, Camosun Student Society services co-ordinator. 鈥淲e got a turntable that plugs into USB, but none of us have any records.鈥�
He said they鈥檝e probably received 30 or 40 items in all over the past three months or so, all coming in Amazon packaging.
鈥淲e鈥檝e talked to Amazon to try and find out what鈥檚 going on and they鈥檙e as perplexed as we are,鈥� said Glover.
Pierre-Paul Angelblazer, UVic Student Society鈥檚 interim director of outreach and university relations, said they have also been receiving numerous packages for the past few weeks.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e generally fairly valuable things,鈥� he said, adding the first packages were donated to the campus food bank.
鈥淲e鈥檙e continuing to get the packages but we鈥檙e just turning them away and having them shipped back to Amazon. We鈥檙e not opening the boxes anymore.鈥�
Glover says Victoria schools aren鈥檛 alone in receiving the mysterious packages, as he鈥檚 heard of schools around B.C. and across the country who have been receiving them.
He said the student society hasn鈥檛 decided what to do with all of the merchandise that includes a dash cam, a pair of HDTV antennas, fishing tackle and sex toys.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got about $1,000 worth of merchandise here. If they鈥檙e sending them to 100 student unions, that鈥檚 $100,000 [not including the shipping],鈥� he said. 鈥淎mazon is winning, someone is winning, but what all this junk is for 鈥� I have no idea. We鈥檒l go fishing later? Some lucky student will win a vibrator?鈥�
Glover said the latest shipment arrived on Thursday, and the student society is just waiting for the issue to resolve itself.
鈥淔or us it鈥檚 kind of neat 鈥� it鈥檚 like 鈥極h, what did we get today?鈥� And if you need an HDTV antenna in black or white, we鈥檙e your guy.鈥�
