Imagine buying massive anvils just to send them back… repeatedly. One TikTok creator says he’s been doing just that for months, all to “overthrow Amazon.” But is his viral stunt a brilliant protest or just a giant headache for everyone else?

A recent viral stunt on TikTok has captured widespread attention, featuring an Illinois content creator who claims to be systematically purchasing and returning 110-pound anvils from Amazon. This unusual campaign, initiated by a user known as “Johnbo Stockwell,” is reportedly designed to “overthrow Amazon” by exploiting the platform’s generous free-returns policy.

For months, Stockwell has documented his repeated purchases of Vevor anvils, each priced just under $230, followed by same-day return label generation. His videos, which have amassed millions of views, showcase the logistical absurdity of this endeavor and present it as a form of digital activism against the e-commerce giant.

Despite the considerable online buzz, evidence of significant corporate damage to Amazon remains elusive. Critics argue that while the viral stunt generates substantial social media clout for Stockwell, its primary impact is often the creation of waste and unnecessary burdens for delivery workers and, more significantly, independent sellers operating on the Amazon marketplace.

The comedian’s ongoing returns have ignited a broader discussion among netizens, particularly within online communities frequented by Amazon employees and UPS drivers. These forums often highlight the wasteful nature of the prank and suggest that the financial brunt of such actions likely falls on third-party merchants rather than directly impacting the vast financial reserves of the e-commerce powerhouse.

This peculiar form of protest has also revived long-standing debates surrounding the true cost of “free” returns. Industry analysts and security researchers point out that while such schemes can boost a creator’s online presence, they invariably push real expenses—including shipping, processing fees, and write-downs on returned inventory—onto retailers and often, indirectly, onto consumers through tighter policies and higher prices.

Reports from cybersecurity news outlets have further underscored the environmental toll associated with these “boomerang shipments.” The inherent convenience of modern e-commerce returns policy mechanisms, while beneficial for consumers, is increasingly seen as a system that disproportionately affects small businesses, who may lack the resources to absorb significant losses from consumer fraud or exploitation.

Data from trade groups and analytics firms reinforce the notion that this behavior is not without victims. Retailers collectively absorbed an estimated $100 billion in return fraud in 2023 alone, a figure that starkly illustrates the widespread issue. Such substantial losses can compel businesses to implement stricter returns policy guidelines and, in turn, contribute to an increase in overall consumer prices.

In response to escalating costs and logistical challenges, Amazon has been incrementally tightening its own returns policy and implementing new fees in certain scenarios. While these measures may help mitigate some instances of abuse, experts concede that they are unlikely to fully eradicate the inherent expenses associated with handling large, heavy, and frequently returned items within the complex e-commerce ecosystem. The saga of the anvil returns serves as a vivid illustration of the intricate dynamics and often unseen consequences of online shopping behaviors.