How an Amazon worker's stomach-churning mistake destroyed successful mom-and-pop swim diaper business

A thriving family business has been destroyed after an Amazon worker's revolting mistake led to a customer receiving a used swim diaper, its owners claim.

Paul and Rachelle Baron, who own Beau and Belle Littles washable swim diapers, say the error led to a scathing one-star review which in turn sent sales plummeting.

The couple allege their $1 million empire - which even appeared on the Rachael Ray show - is now $600,000 in debt because the error is putting off other customers.

The Barons' nightmare began when Amazon accidentally sent out a used, feces-covered diaper to a customer which had presumably been returned by another shopper.

The disgruntled buyer then uploaded a one-star review along with a stomach-churning photo of the product. It read: 'The diaper arrived used and was covered in poop stains. Nothing could have been more disgusting!! 

'I am assuming someone returned it after using it and the company simply did not check the item and then shipped it to us as if it was brand new. These were not small stains either. I was extremely grossed out.'

The couple allege the review is the reason for tumbling sales.

Baron told Bloomberg: 'The last four years have been an emotional train wreck.

'Shoppers might think returning a poopy diaper to Amazon is a victimless way to get their money back, but we're a small, family business, and this is how we pay our mortgage.'

Despite the Barons' pleas, Amazon refused to remove the damaging review. 

'We are sorry to hear that a seller feels their return was not evaluated correctly and resulted in a negative review,' Amazon spokesperson Maria Boschetti said in a statement to the outlet. 

'We encourage selling partners to reach out with any concerns, and we listen to their feedback to help us continue improving the selling experience.' 

Now, Amazon's return inspection process is under scrutiny as similar incidents come to light.

Amazon insiders revealed to Bloomberg that warehouse employees, pressured to work quickly, often don't have time for thorough checks.

If the package looks sealed and unused, they often won't check, the source alleged.

The Barons set up their business a decade ago after enrolling their son Beauregard in swim class. 

They found his swim diapers were too tight on his legs and had to be removed like underpants, making clean-up messy. 

They came up with the idea of a reusable swim diaper with snaps which made it adjustable and easier to remove. 

At their peak, they hit $1 million in sales, appeared on the Rachael Ray Show and were even profiled in Forbes. 

Their entrepreneurial dream was sparked by a desire for Rachalle to be able to stay at home to raise their children. 

The review was first posted in 2020 and received more than 100 'upvotes' from shoppers who found the review 'helpful.'

It negated the hundreds of positive reviews the business had received and meant the algorithm was now working against their business.

The Barons worked all year to get the review taken down without help from Amazon. They even attempted to reach founder Jeff Bezos directly.

A month later they received an email from another customer who also claimed to have received a used diaper - though they did not publicly share their story in an official review. 

'Amazon talks a big game about helping small businesses,' Paul told Bloomberg. 'But they really don't. We started this as a dream to make enough money for Rachelle to be able to stay home.

'It should be common sense,' Rachelle added. 'Why would something like a diaper ever be put back into inventory to be resold?'