This man keeps buying and returning 110-pound anvils on Amazon

An Illinois man keeps buying and returning 110-pound anvils on Amazon—until “someone does something about it,” he says.

The creator, who goes by Johnbo Stockwell on TikTok, went viral back in June after revealing he’d spent the past eight months repeatedly buying and returning anvils—each one costing just under $230 and weighing 110 pounds.

Because he is an Amazon Prime member, Stockwell takes advantage of the free shipping perk. So when his Vevor anvil orders arrive on his doorstep, he immediately ships them back—also for free. In one video, he scrolls through his Amazon order history, showing 10 anvil orders placed and returned within just a few weeks.

Why is he doing this, many have asked? In another video, he says he’s going to “overthrow Amazon.com.” Many, however, believe his stunt is misdirected. “The carbon footprint from having the same anvil shipped over and over,” one commenter chastised. “Bro hates already overworked and underpaid Amazon employees,” another wrote. Stockwell just laughs: “Is it somehow wrong to help a minimum-wage worker hit their fitness goals?” he asks.

Amazon’s return policy states that “most items can be returned for a refund or replacement/exchange within 30 days of delivery as long as they are in original or unused condition.” Eligible items also qualify for free returns.

Stockwell, who is also a stand-up comedian, hasn’t actually shown anvils arriving at his doorstep, raising the question of whether the whole thing is just a bit. Either way, the stunt has worked: It went viral. (Fast Company has reached out to Stockwell for comment.)

His antics have also spread to Reddit forums dedicated to Amazon employees and UPS drivers, who are equally unimpressed. “This item (specifically the 110-lb model) is sold via a third party called ‘Simplego,’ so this John Stockwell is probably just hurting a small business, all while likely still paying Amazon’s selling fees,” one Reddit user wrote. “Not the sharpest tool in the shed.” Or, as another dubbed him: “Mr. W LY Coyote.”

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