MSE News: Been charged for unwanted Amazon Prime? Here's how to cancel

DJV

I would like to think that I am reasonably internet savvy, especially where online shopping is concerned as I buy online for both personal and business purposes.


A few weeks before Christmas I needed to order a book for a friends Christmas present and found it on Amazon, so went through the usual ordering process. I didn’t need any sort of express delivery service so I chose the free super saver option. I then got an annoying pop up screen pushing Amazon Prime. As I had already had a free Prime subscription in the past (which I cancelled before the paid for service started) and never used any of the facilities offered, I avoided the “Sign up” button and chose the other option being offered. I was then horrified to find that this was also a “Sign up” but under a different name !
I immediately cancelled my order, but the prime subscription stayed on my account and they took the £79 a month later even though they never sent me an email to warn that they were going to do this.


I feel really conned by this sort of business practice and I have now opted out of all Amazon marketing and have not ordered from them since this incident as I simply don’t trust them anymore.


Through my work, I was interested to see the following article in Retail Week which states that Amazon saw significant rises in their profits over the Christmas period and their “Bosses hailed the impact of subscription service Amazon Prime on the improved results after its user base grew 53% last year”. No surprise really, if they’re signing people up whether they want it or not.


http://www.retail-week.com/multichannel/online-retail/amazon-reports-214m-net-profit-months-after-its-biggest-ever-loss/5071584.article


I hope they’re very happy with their short term profits, but the negative impact for the customers that feel duped will surely hit them in the long run. I can honestly say that over the last couple of months there is nothing that I’ve needed that I’ve not been able to easily find elsewhere.


By the way, I did get my £79 by calling them to complain. I also told them how I felt about this whole episode, and I was warned that my call was being recorded – “Good I said, and make sure some senior managers have a listen to the call to hear how angry I feel about it”


Rant over – feel happy now. Good to know I’m not alone !

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Nope, not a problem. Signed up for free trial 20th December. Nothing worth watching, or further charge for on video service. Cancelled 27th December. 19th January not charged.

Cannot see what problem is!

haverhillhammer

i HAVE TO SAY THAT AMAZON CUSTOMER SERVICE IS EXCELLENT!!
We had a strange thing happen just recently.
I tried to have a free trial last May. When I clicked the trial button, the next page didn't come up. I thought I would try again later and left it. Never received an email from Amazon.
Anyway, time went by, and my partner decided to get a free trial in November 2014. Got the confirming email and one month later, the £79 was taken. No problem. We use Amazon ALOT , so this made a real difference to us.
Fast forward to two days ago, and we notice a debit of £79 to Amazon prime on our bank statement. That's a bit weird I thought..........
Got onto live chat with them, and explained that we thought we'd been maistakenly debited money.
The latest £79 was from MY prime account that I never opened!
They were very apologetic, gave me £10 credit on my account and refunded the £79 without any quibble.
I spoke to them calmly, and they spoke to me calmly. They didn't mean to screw up. It just happened.
On the subject of the free trial. It states that you will pay the money after one month. These trials have been around for years in one form or another. It used to be book clubs and Brittania Music. Now it's Amazon.
The rules are clear as can be.
careful what you are clicking and READ!!!!

eagleswings

I have used and cancelled a trial of Prime twice, on both occasions I forgot to cancel it before the end of the trial. Fortunately I hadn't used Prime after the payment was taken so cancelled it (as described in Martins article) and got my money back quickly.

I deliberately signed up for Prime to get a quick delivery, but recently my wife was caught out by one of these unclear buttons, pressed once and unwittingly signed up, it's very bad that there is no option to confirm the selection giving the opportunity to cancel straight away.

My main grip though is that every individual has to sign up. My wife and I have our own Amazon accounts, paying indiviually for fast delivery may be fair enough but we don't both want to pay twice for the extras like Prime video.

MagikGimp

Just wanted to add my little story to the discussion:
I hate Amazon.com, with a passion; I'm putting that out there upfront. The convenience people find shopping with them simply because they've heard their name from word of mouth and the ridiculously huge 'footfall' they enjoy because of this annoys me, especially so since I've worked for them in one of their dreaded "Fulfilment Centres" (one of the worst jobs you can ever have as anyone will attest to.) Not to mention the whole tax fiasco of course. However, my experience with cancelling subscriptions with them was straightforward and forgiving which I really have to commend them for. Whether it's simply because so many have complained in the past, -- with big sales comes great responsibility to keep customers -- Amazon's policies in this are better than other companies.
I knowingly signed up for Prime accounts, yes plural, to beat the (very last minute!) XMas delivery rush last year. Two accounts because one was with the US site as I was sending gifts to American friends via wishlists. The accounts are handled separately between countries so you pay for both and have two trials. I was fine with this and put a rough date of when the trials would expire in my head so I would cancel them in time. Of course I should have cancelled them immediately because I was never going to use Amazon's services (I was forced to, compounded by my last-minute habits, with the wishlists and also the very fast deliveries) but didn't "just in case I'd want something".
The day arrived more or less (I basically added a month to the date I'd started the trial, a silly thing to do I realise now) and I went to cancel only to find my bank account in debit of about £140. Instant panic as you might imagine. After a fair amount of restrained flapping I took a few deep breaths and started looking into my options. The charge still hadn't gone through with my bank (they showed it as such) as I'd just missed the deadline so could I perhaps cancel the payment via the bank? Should I just write a sob-story to Amazon and cross my fingers? In the end I looked at the small print via a quick search.
It wasn't hard to find what I was looking for what with SO many people falling foul of the end of the trial and thank my lucky stars- Amazon give you a three day leeway period to cancel after they bill you provided you haven't used any of their services. Fantastic! I quickly completed the cancellation procedure (twice, each slightly different) and was informed by e-mail that I would be fully refunded soon. I couldn't be more relieved and I felt a new-found respect for this company I'd only ever felt loathing for in the past.
So yes, I fully accept that being charged was my own fault and I don't believe Amazon are all that sneaky on this whole thing. Not compared to most other companies who give timed trials at least. Not if you read what you're doing and don't just click click click as I know a lot do (and have this bizarre incapability to understand English if it's on a screen all of a sudden.)
Now, if more people shopped around with the Shop Bot here there'd be far fewer incidents of this. And commerce would be a lot less Orwellian than it seems to be getting these days. I mean, I bought something else from another company at a better price than Amazon at the same time and they were able to deliver next day very close to Christmas as well so there are other options available.
Don't let ignorance rule your lives people!

foxtrotoscar_2

MagikGimp wrote: »

Just wanted to add my little story to the discussion:
I hate Amazon.com, with a passion; I'm putting that out there upfront. The convenience people find shopping with them simply because they've heard their name from word of mouth and the ridiculously huge 'footfall' they enjoy because of this annoys me, especially so since I've worked for them in one of their dreaded "Fulfilment Centres" (one of the worst jobs you can ever have as anyone will attest to.) Not to mention the whole tax fiasco of course. However, my experience with cancelling subscriptions with them was straightforward and forgiving which I really have to commend them for. Whether it's simply because so many have complained in the past, -- with big sales comes great responsibility to keep customers -- Amazon's policies in this are better than other companies.
I knowingly signed up for Prime accounts, yes plural, to beat the (very last minute!) XMas delivery rush last year. Two accounts because one was with the US site as I was sending gifts to American friends via wishlists. The accounts are handled separately between countries so you pay for both and have two trials. I was fine with this and put a rough date of when the trials would expire in my head so I would cancel them in time. Of course I should have cancelled them immediately because I was never going to use Amazon's services (I was forced to, compounded by my last-minute habits, with the wishlists and also the very fast deliveries) but didn't "just in case I'd want something".
The day arrived more or less (I basically added a month to the date I'd started the trial, a silly thing to do I realise now) and I went to cancel only to find my bank account in debit of about £140. Instant panic as you might imagine. After a fair amount of restrained flapping I took a few deep breaths and started looking into my options. The charge still hadn't gone through with my bank (they showed it as such) as I'd just missed the deadline so could I perhaps cancel the payment via the bank? Should I just write a sob-story to Amazon and cross my fingers? In the end I looked at the small print via a quick search.
It wasn't hard to find what I was looking for what with SO many people falling foul of the end of the trial and thank my lucky stars- Amazon give you a three day leeway period to cancel after they bill you provided you haven't used any of their services. Fantastic! I quickly completed the cancellation procedure (twice, each slightly different) and was informed by e-mail that I would be fully refunded soon. I couldn't be more relieved and I felt a new-found respect for this company I'd only ever felt loathing for in the past.
So yes, I fully accept that being charged was my own fault and I don't believe Amazon are all that sneaky on this whole thing. Not compared to most other companies who give timed trials at least. Not if you read what you're doing and don't just click click click as I know a lot do (and have this bizarre incapability to understand English if it's on a screen all of a sudden.)
Now, if more people shopped around with the Shop Bot here there'd be far fewer incidents of this. And commerce would be a lot less Orwellian than it seems to be getting these days. I mean, I bought something else from another company at a better price than Amazon at the same time and they were able to deliver next day very close to Christmas as well so there are other options available.
Don't let ignorance rule your lives people!

What about amazon.co.uk?

Money-Saving-King

DJV wrote: »

I also told them how I felt about this whole episode, and I was warned that my call was being recorded – “Good I said, and make sure some senior managers have a listen to the call to hear how angry I feel about it”

So you decided to bully a minimum wage call centre worker then.

Twinyc

I sat and read the article in this weeks newsletter and thought yes that happened to me and I didn't sign up for it? So I emailed them straightaway around 9pm and expected a reply in a couple of days. On retiring to bed around 10.30pm my iPad pinged and up popped a reply from Amazon, which I thought was an automatic reply, but no! It was a full blown reply from an actual person who apologised that this had happened and it was because I hadn't cancelled it after the trial. But then went on to say they will REFUND ME. :T
Very pleased with that outcome I must say.
So a big thank you to this newsletter for the heads up!
If you have been charged then ask for a refund it, it works!!
Money Saving Expert you are wonderful.

custardy

Twinyc wrote: »

I sat and read the article in this weeks newsletter and thought yes that happened to me and I didn't sign up for it?

and I have read far enough.
Please take time to secure your property to ensure no further Prime elfs enter your property through the night and sign you up to Amazon Prime.

biscit

00kitkat00 wrote: »

Thanks MSE, £79 went out of my account in January and I thought I was doomed assumed I must have signed up and agreed to something unwittingly. Just clicked the buttons as instructed and received notification of the refund hurrah

This is how you do it. I was careless too, but Amazon were good about it. And it was through hearing about it through MSE that I got money back, so kudos to the community.

No one minds that people make mistakes and there is help, just that there are too many "complaints".

There is much to dislike about Amazon, but this isn't one of those things.