Ontario photographer receives box of staples instead of $2,577 camera lens they ordered

An Ontario photographer is frustrated after her $2,577 camera lens is replaced with box of staples.

An Ontario woman who enjoys photography wanted to buy a special camera lens she found online. But, when the shipment arrived, she opened it to find a box of staples instead.

“I was completely shocked. I didn’t know what to do,“ Viktoryia Shkel of Maple, Ont. told CTV News Toronto.

Shkel is a photography enthusiast and said she wanted to upgrade to a more advanced camera lens.

She said she found one online on Canon Canada’s website for $2,577 that was part of a “damaged box” sale.

However, when the shipment arrived in mid-June, Shkel said she opened the box to find it was full of staples.

“The box was supposed to contain a Canon EF 24-70mm lens, and instead there was a box of staples,” she said.

Shkel told CTV News she contacted Canon Canada to explain what happened, and sent photos of what she received.

“They notified me that all protocols were followed... they said the lens was inspected in the facility and by the time the lens left, everything was intact.”

She said that while the outside box was sealed, the box for the camera lens had been opened—something that is standard with open or damaged box sales.

“There was no safety seal,” she said.

Shkel claimed the box of staples weighed the same as what the camera lens would. But, following an internal investigation by Canon Canada, she was told she would not be getting a refund.

“I’m completely heartbroken. I’m completely shocked this happened to me and I’m really, really upset.”

In late 2023, CTV News reported on a similar story with the Mankad family of Brampton. The family had ordered a laptop, but received two books instead.

“Someone must have opened the box, took out the laptop and replaced it with two books of equal weight and size,” Hardik Mankad said at the time.

With CTV News’ help, the Mankad family got a refund.

In Shkel’s case, CTV News reached out to Canon Canada and a spokesperson said in a statement, “Internally, we have launched an investigation with our customer care and warehouse teams to examine what may have occurred.”

“We can confirm that our current process for outbound shipments require a weight verification of the product(s) held within and must match our strict weight measurements before being sent. Both our warehouse and shipping partner have confirmed that the outbound package did match the measurements and weight that would be expected for the lens model purchased, however based on the information provided by Viktoryia, it appears that the package may have been tampered with after departing our facility.”

“This is an unusual situation that we have not previously encountered, but while we continue the investigation with our shipping partner, we understand that the customer is currently bearing the financial burden of this loss. Customer satisfaction is a top priority for our brand, and we are currently in the process of issuing a refund to this customer for the cost of the lens.”

Shkel has now received a full refund and plans to buy a new lens in person at a camera store.