Underhand Amazon Prime

noisla

When your order from Amazon it is so difficult to avoid signing up for Amazon Prime accidentally. I've done it twice over the years. Every box is defaulted to Prime, "are you sure", etc. The "cancel" and "no" buttons are always hard to find.

The start page on the phone app is "thanks for selecting Amazon Prime, click here to complete your order". So easy to accidentally confirm this order that I never placed.

Once you are signed up to Prime, it defaults to automatic monthly renewal for a fee, and no renewal reminder. Unless you're diligent about checking your junk email folder, you might not notice you subscribed at all, until the charges start. I know many people with accidental Prime subscriptions.

This sales tactic seems very unethical. Accidental subscriptions prey on people who are not savvy at shopping online or less diligent at monitoring their finances.

Is this practice actually legal?
Is anybody looking into it?
Other websites (e.g. Booking.com) are being forced to change their pressure selling practices. Utilities, phone companies, banks are all being forced to be fairer about their fees and letting customers quit or switch contracts.

I'm not looking to complain specifically about me, but in general. I did research and think the practice is "unfair" and applying "undue influence" as no way I would have knowingly or or willingly purchased it.
https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-protection-from-unfair-trading-regulations-2008
However couldn't find any appropriate ombudsman:
http://www.ombudsmanassociation.org/find-an-ombudsman.php

neilmcl

Odd that you bring this up when this was published today - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50234143

noisla

neilmcl wrote: »

Odd that you bring this up when this was published today - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50234143

No way! I really did google this before posting here, my google skills are clearly lacking.


Hurray!

The_Rainmaker

Don't darken their door again is always the best policy if you don't agree how a company conducts its business.

Personally, I think Prime is well worth the money.

BoGoF

noisla wrote: »

No way! I really did google this before posting here, my google skills are clearly lacking.


Hurray!

Hurray for what? The lunatics taking over the asylum?

The rulong was based on 10 complaints.......a clear case of a quango trying to justify their existence.

Clearly on-line shopping is not suitable for everyone and the best thing they should do is stick to shops.

worried_jim

BoGoF wrote: »

Clearly on-line shopping is not suitable for everyone and the best thing they should do is stick to shops.

This is very true, and get the bus there, driving and parking is not for them either.

Mr_Singleton

BoGoF wrote: »

The rulong was based on 10 complaints.......a clear case of a quango trying to justify their existence.

Utter rubbish..... Amazon have had a L O N G history of signing people up to to Prime without there informed consent as Google will confirm.

DoaM

I've never seen the page in question, but based solely on what was described in the BBC article then it does sound like a justified ruling.

PS - happy (knowing) Prime subscriber here.

BoGoF

Mr_Singleton wrote: »

Utter rubbish..... Amazon have had a L O N G history of signing people up to to Prime without there informed consent as Google will confirm.

A quote from the article "Ten people complained to the ASA about this part of the check-out process."

These are the sort of people that somehow sign up for all sorts of subscriptions "without their knowledge". In other words they can't be bothered reading what they are signing up for.

Paul_DNAP

I agree with the OP, sometimes it is difficult to know exactly which button it is you should press without accepting an Amazon Prime subscription. I have often had to abandon a check-out and go back to my basket and start again when I get to the full page advert that has, I presume, somewhere a button that doesn't sign you up to prime, but many many others that do.

unholyangel

Well thanks to the EU consumer rights directives, retailers need to obtain express consent of consumers for any additional payments (additional to the main obligation of the contract) and it explicitly states that a pre-ticked box/option does not infer consent.

Article 22
Before the consumer is bound by the contract or offer, the trader shall seek the express
consent of the consumer to any extra payment in addition to the remuneration agreed upon
for the trader’s main contractual obligation. If the trader has not obtained the consumer’s
express consent but has inferred it by using default options which the consumer is required to
reject in order to avoid the additional payment, the consumer shall be entitled to
reimbursement of this payment.