Amazon Prime Member Fee? Charged £48...

uniquespitfire

Not many. That is not my point at all. I am saying that companies need to consider the possiblity that it could be a "1st free trial" for someone. Each customer should be treated like a first time buyer.
Here are some examples of good pracitse from my own experience.

My free gym membership last November (Won't name the company, just in case). The lady at the counter told me that if I wanted to continue in December, I would have to pay a monthly standing order which I would need to cancel. She didn't lower her voice when she said it, or talk fast. She just told me the facts. It was then highlighted to me on the paperwork.
Another?
When I worked for a well known charity a couple of years back, we were told to make it abundantly clear that people were not making a one-off donation, but creating a standing order. Now of course, most people were aware of this, but often some people were not. If, for example, they were not regular users of this type of payment. There are still a vast number of "cash shoppers" especially if you look at the older generations.

Another?
Check out Love films free trial
lovefilm.com/signup
When they tell you the trial will end in payment, yes its small print, but you have to read "Prices are per month after your FREE trial ends - and you can change package any time." before you move on to your other options.
Its much clearer.

Obviously, in your posts you have made it abundantly clear that you would never make such a silly mistake like this. However, based on your post numbers, you are clearly someone who spends a lot of time on a computer. there are a lot of people who are not as experienced with e-shopping and a company like Amazon, who i am sure recieve a high number of infrequent or 1st time shoppers should try to make life as easy as possible for their customers, especially when considering automised-payment situation.

There have been a lot of people who have had this Amazon Prime issue. Whether legally right or wrong, this large number of people suggests a problem immediatly. If I had more than 5-10 complaints about a product I was selling then I would probably review our practices.

uniquespitfire

Azari wrote: »

So why do Amazon not take everyone opting for the free trial to a page that says:

"Welcome to the Amazon free trial. You do not have to pay anything for a month but if you do not cancel by the end of the trial a payment of £48 will be taken from your card on the <date>.

Please tick the checkbox below to indicate that you have read and understood this message."

It would be little effort and would all but eliminate the problem.

And the answer, of course, is 'inertia'.

QUOTE]
Well done. You made my point much better than my aimless rambling. Thankyou

miduck

uniquespitfire wrote: »

Not many. That is not my point at all. I am saying that companies need to consider the possiblity that it could be a "1st free trial" for someone. Each customer should be treated like a first time buyer.
Here are some examples of good pracitse from my own experience.

My free gym membership last November (Won't name the company, just in case). The lady at the counter told me that if I wanted to continue in December, I would have to pay a monthly standing order which I would need to cancel. She didn't lower her voice when she said it, or talk fast. She just told me the facts. It was then highlighted to me on the paperwork.
Another?
When I worked for a well known charity a couple of years back, we were told to make it abundantly clear that people were not making a one-off donation, but creating a standing order. Now of course, most people were aware of this, but often some people were not. If, for example, they were not regular users of this type of payment. There are still a vast number of "cash shoppers" especially if you look at the older generations.

Another?
Check out Love films free trial
lovefilm.com/signup
When they tell you the trial will end in payment, yes its small print, but you have to read "Prices are per month after your FREE trial ends - and you can change package any time." before you move on to your other options.
Its much clearer.

Obviously, in your posts you have made it abundantly clear that you would never make such a silly mistake like this. However, based on your post numbers, you are clearly someone who spends a lot of time on a computer. there are a lot of people who are not as experienced with e-shopping and a company like Amazon, who i am sure recieve a high number of infrequent or 1st time shoppers should try to make life as easy as possible for their customers, especially when considering automised-payment situation.

There have been a lot of people who have had this Amazon Prime issue. Whether legally right or wrong, this large number of people suggests a problem immediatly. If I had more than 5-10 complaints about a product I was selling then I would probably review our practices.

5 - 10 complaints from the millions of happy customers would imply those 5 - 10 complainants are a bit stupid and should stick to traditional shops.

Azari

miduck wrote: »

5 - 10 complaints from the millions of happy customers would imply those 5 - 10 complainants are a bit stupid and should stick to traditional shops.

You don't know how many people have been caught out by this so why do you feel the need to be so smug and pompous about it?

Just in case you didn't realise it, not everyone who has a problem with Amazon posts about it here.

uniquespitfire

miduck wrote: »

5 - 10 complaints from the millions of happy customers would imply those 5 - 10 complainants are a bit stupid and should stick to traditional shops.

Erm... I said if "I"
I personally run a small business, which sells on average 50 products a week. Obvously... ahem... a bigger company would probably react to a slightly higher number of complaints.
Oh dear. That was uncomfortable.
Well noted though...

bod1467

And the 5 - 10 complaints comment was NOT made in respect of Amazon Prime - it was an example based on the poster's own experience. The number affected by this Prime scenario will likely be in the 1000s.

Edit: SNAP (of sorts)

ScarlettUK

I too got caught up in the Amazon Prime thing. I knew exactly what I was signing up to, fully intending to cancel before the end of the trial period. Obviously I forgot, my trial membership ended on Christmas day and my account was £49 lighter on the 27th. I was prepared to write it off due to my own forgetfulness, but thanks to this post, I've just logged on to Amazon, cancelled the membership, and had an e-mail stating that my membership fee will be refunded in full. Well done Amazon!!

Honeydog

I recently signed up to Prime after (my 3rd) free trial. The main reason I did was that as a Kindle owner I can borrow a book a month for free. I have just read 'Test Rider' about a guy who rode prototype motorcycles for Triumph. A cracking read priced at £5.99 on Kindle. So already I have saved £5.99.

If I'm religious about borrowing a new book every month I expect that the year's Prime membership will have cost me precisely zero by Christmas 2013! Worth it? Oh yes!

Plus the convenience of knowing (almost for sure) when my order is going to arrive.... brilliant. I like Free Super Saver but you can never be sure when it will arrive which is a hassle as you have to make sure someone is in.

So far I'm happy with Prime.

Pollycat

ScarlettUK wrote: »

I knew exactly what I was signing up to, fully intending to cancel before the end of the trial period.

So if Scarlett knew exactly what she was signing up to, why are there so many people shouting 'scam' 'con' 'rip-off'?

Oh yes, that's right, Scarlett obviously read what Amazon Prime was about and what would happen if she didn't cancel - unlike most of the posters complaining on here.

Well done Scarlett for being honest and, as you say, well done Amazon for refunding you.

Azari

Pollycat wrote: »

So if Scarlett knew exactly what she was signing up to, why are there so many people shouting 'scam' 'con' 'rip-off'?

Because, as I said earlier, people aren't born with the knowledge of how these things work.

It's very easy for those of us with years of experience of the net and commerce in general to be smug and say that they should have read the terms more carefully.

But life is a learning experience and a lot of people need to make a few mistakes before the importance of things sinks in.

It would be perfectly easy for Amazon to make absolutely sure that people understand what is going to happen so why not do so?

The same applies to Naked Wines. I find the advertising of both these companies quite clear but it is evident that some do not. So they should take extra steps to be sure.