2020 continues to surprise us, as Northern Ireland has ceased to be part of the United Kingdom and has united with the Republic of Ireland… well, at least that's what the e-commerce giant Amazon seemed to think. The company has become the butt of jokes after its service told a customer named Chris Jones from Ballyclare in Northern Ireland that he couldn’t watch a rugby game between England and Georgia because the service was available only in the United Kingdom.
Thank you for that information. We apologize but upon reviewing your location you're in Northern Ireland. Rugby Autumn Nations Cup coverage is exclusively available to Prime members based in the UK. We don't have the rights to other territories. ^RS
— Amazon Help (@AmazonHelp) November 14, 2020
The man tried to improve Amazon’s understanding of geography, but to no avail.
Many apologies but, we don't have the broadcast rights for Ireland or other territories. ^RS
— Amazon Help (@AmazonHelp) November 14, 2020
The company’s customer service remained unfazed even after its post went viral and it was flooded with comments saying that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
Thank you for reaching out to us. We'll be sure to pass your feedback along to the appropriate team. ^DR
— Amazon Help (@AmazonHelp) November 14, 2020
Social media users competed in wit when commenting on the news.
I ordered a United Ireland for Christmas on Amazon and its arrived already. Great service tbf https://t.co/N5P6gH2QyJ
— Jamie (@FCTwenteBenson) November 14, 2020
Thankyou to Amazon for declaring a United Ireland and thereby solving all our Northern Ireland border problems after Brexit. https://t.co/swm4C0A82y
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) November 14, 2020
Some users joked that Amazon had become extremely powerful.
Amazon is so powerful they’ve united Ireland. https://t.co/DPwc7epMzI
— Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) November 14, 2020
Jeff Bezos ending British colonial occupation in Ireland.
— Lester Kiewit (@lesterkk) November 14, 2020
Amazon can deliver anything! https://t.co/jg9Xw7NWi6
Supporters of a united Ireland praised the e-commerce giant’s gaffe.
Amazon showing their support for a United Ireland #respect https://t.co/2LPkYOLqaV
— piqué (@yxngfella) November 16, 2020
Users in Scotland, where support for independence from the United Kingdom has increased in recent years, asked the company to "help" them too.
yo Amazon can we get an independant Scotland to go with that United Ireland pretty please
— Ekybob (@Ekybob_Plays) November 14, 2020
Other users criticised the customer service for the poor knowledge of geography and tried to imagine what the person who wrote the post might look like.
So does this mean the folks at Amazon have taken basic lessons in history and geography, and thus know Northern Ireland is in the UK? Or do they think the USSR exists, Istanbul is called Constantinople, and the United States and Canada are under British rule?
— Rich Handley, Author and Editor (@RichHandleyTrek) November 15, 2020
Amazon customer services team about to release Statement to a Sovereign Ireland pic.twitter.com/0swmohKCCI
— Michael Richard Foran (@foran_richard) November 15, 2020
Tens of thousands of sarcastic comments later, Amazon apologised for "the error in our colleague’s response".
We apologise for the error in our colleague’s response. Our Prime Video subscribers in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK can access and watch the Rugby Autumn Nations Cup on Prime Video as part of their subscription.
— Amazon Help (@AmazonHelp) November 14, 2020
