This TikToker is “overthrowing Amazon” by returning 110-pound anvils – but who really pays the price?

A TikTok prank involving 110 pound anvils and Amazon Prime’s free return policy has gone viral, raising questions about waste, small sellers, and who really pays for convenience. But why the drama?

While a man ordering and returning anvils on repeat sounds like a cartoon gag from Loony Toons, TikTok has turned it into a spectacle.

Johnbo Stockwell, a comedian from Illinois, insists his goal is nothing less than to “overthrow Amazon.com.”

In a video from June this year, Stockwell reveals the receive and return prank had been going on for six months, and appears exasperated that he was badly received by viewers.

@stocklett

addressing some of the folks saying not so nice things

♬ A Summer Place - Hollywood Strings Orchestra

Heavy lies the prank

Reactions range from people laughing at the absurdity to workers and viewers calling the stunt cruel.

One TikTok user was able to read between the lines, diplomatically pointing out that the heaviness of the product was the main issue, and suggested a lighter alternative to make it easier for the driver.

“Could you switch to kitchen rolls instead? Maximum at Amazon UK is 3x12 of them, and they're lighter, easier for staff to carry, and occupy multiples more delivery van space, which costs Amazon far more” posted @pajaro.

In his original video, Stockwell provocatively asked “Is it somehow wrong to be helping a minimum wage worker to hit their fitness goals?”

Amazon’s loophole

Stockwell’s escapades only work because of Amazon Prime’s free shipping and return policy.

In reality, that convenience comes at a cost – in labor, logistics, and lost revenue.

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The question is whether Amazon can actually stop serial returners or if the system invites such inconvenience.

On Reddit, many workers say his protest doesn’t hurt Amazon at all, just the people in the middle.

“This item (Specifically the 110lb model) is sold via a third party called Simplego, observed @BayAreaRap, so this John Stockwell is probably just hurting a small business all while likely still paying Amazon’s selling fees.”

When a reporter from Newsweek asked Stockwell what his goal was, his reply was, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

The narrative looks set to rumble on for a while before his protest is perhaps crushed under its own weight.