Amazon accused of tricking customers

[Grumps.]

I remember a thread a while ago about this and it looks like something might be done about it, although it’s US only at the mo.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65978053

[Rob_125]

I recently had a free trial for a month, wasn't particularly hard to cancel. A couple tick boxes and at the end there was even the option to cancel at the end of the trial period. People need to understand what they sign up to and take responsibility.

[h0b0]

As a US customer of Amazon Prime I have to say using the UK version is unbearable. I assume the experience is the same in the US for none prime members but I don’t have to go through it.

If I try and make a purchase in the UK I have to reject Prime 3-4 times. Sometimes the screen is purposely designed to be misleading.


On a side note, my prime membership used to be international. It hasn’t been for some years though.

[Grumps.]

I do remember when we weren’t members the checkout page was tricky to navigate but we do have prime now, and it is shared with all the family so it’s quite good value, especially as you get some TV with it as well, although I have noticed more and more are becoming chargeable.

[DickyC]

We have Prime. It never loads first time. Sometimes I have switch everything off and start again. Useless. But it sounds as though I'd have trouble disentangling myself from it.

[tim0409]

Rob_125 said:

I recently had a free trial for a month, wasn't particularly hard to cancel. A couple tick boxes and at the end there was even the option to cancel at the end of the trial period. People need to understand what they sign up to and take responsibility.

I would describe myself as a “switched on” consumer, and in my view Amazon have gone to great lengths to make it deliberately difficult to cancel through page design etc. I’ve had to help a couple of older less tech savvy family friends cancel it in the past.

Whilst people may need to “take responsibility”, that doesn’t excuse a company going out of their way to make it confusing to cancel their service in the hope that people give up. I’m all for capitalism, but when you have rapacious companies like Amazon, they need to be kept in line in order to protect less switched on consumers.

[ARHarh]

I gave up fighting Prime and just sign up for a free trial when I want to buy something. I have 3 Amazon accounts with slightly different names and email addresses. Between myself and the wife we manage to have Amazon prime when ever we want it. After your free trial has ended it only takes a few weeks till.they offer another trial.

[FourWheelDrift]

Rob_125 said:

I recently had a free trial for a month, wasn't particularly hard to cancel. A couple tick boxes and at the end there was even the option to cancel at the end of the trial period. People need to understand what they sign up to and take responsibility.

Exactly, it's not difficult to cancel. I've done it before when I had a 30 day free trial, I am a Prime customer now and all I have to do is go to Your account, Prime, Manage Membership and click on "end membership".

[Murph7355]

Rob_125 said:

I recently had a free trial for a month, wasn't particularly hard to cancel. A couple tick boxes and at the end there was even the option to cancel at the end of the trial period. People need to understand what they sign up to and take responsibility.

Exactly.

[hidetheelephants]

Same as Ryanair etc and their relentlessly upselling websites; just grit your teeth and click through it.

[dandarez]

Murph7355 said:

Rob_125 said:

I recently had a free trial for a month, wasn't particularly hard to cancel. A couple tick boxes and at the end there was even the option to cancel at the end of the trial period. People need to understand what they sign up to and take responsibility.

Exactly.

This. Still have Prime as it's very useful.

Don't forget you can get your own back (not intentional, it happens!).

Lost count of the time I've ordered something... turns up real fast (can't complain there) but occasionally something is not right, missing, or not what I ordered.

Complain... expecting to send stuff back but get a
'Don't bother, keep it. We'll send another.'

They do. And I do!

[leef44]

There was a complaint in the UK, possibly Trading authorities, and I noticed it was easier to get through the hurdles to purchase without Prime for a while.

Recently, I've noticed it's resorted back to the old ways: you have to go through about three screens picking different small faded out box to avoid accidentally selecting Prime.

So although you say "take responsibility", you do need to focus and concentrate to get through the screens to avoid Prime. You don't need to do this with any other website.

[pavarotti1980]

If people thing Amazon is difficult to cancel then god help with them with Sky or Virgin Media.

[wiggy001]

FourWheelDrift said:

Exactly, it's not difficult to cancel. I've done it before when I had a 30 day free trial, I am a Prime customer now and all I have to do is go to Your account, Prime, Manage Membership and click on "end membership".

And then click "end membership" when asked again. And then confirm you want to end membership when asked a third time. And then it's cancelled.

Can I just say thanks to the OP for this thread, I had completely forgotten to cancel prime and my free trial ends tomorrow.

[leef44]

pavarotti1980 said:

If people thing Amazon is difficult to cancel then god help with them with Sky or Virgin Media.

Good point. It was extremely hard work to cancel Virgin. There isn't an option to cancel on line and I'm convinced there is only one person in the whole country to answer the line for cancellation.

[Cold]

Just off out to cancel my David Lloyd gym membership. Back in a bit...

[Hants PHer]

I ordered some stuff from Amazon yesterday. I don't have Prime, and don't want it. There was one box marked "No thanks, I don't want Prime" or something like that. Obviously, I clicked that box, then went to checkout and paid. That's it. Can't see what the fuss is about.

[Otispunkmeyer]

I have prime and I use it and like it so don't mind paying for it. However, I did sign up to it earlier than planned simply because of how they'd designed this promotional sign up page that appeared when on the site. Can't remember what I was doing exactly but I was rushing a bit and hit what I thought was continue. Instead I'd hit "Yes please sign me up!". Probably happened after I'd already made a purchase so they already had all the details needed to complete the account.

I do remember feeling a bit foolish but at the same time, I was going to sign up anyway.

Also, its quite straightforward to cancel things.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Grumps. said:

I do remember when we weren’t members the checkout page was tricky to navigate but we do have prime now, and it is shared with all the family so it’s quite good value, especially as you get some TV with it as well, although I have noticed more and more are becoming chargeable.

Don't know if they still do it but you also got access to amazon music, which doesn't have a totally complete library (that is what Unlimited is for) does have a decent selection of songs and albums. Also there is some kind of Kindle offering as well, they have a bunch of kindle books that basically are available for free, but they do rotate the selection regularly. So if you're on it, you can often grab some decent books for no extra cost.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Cold said:

Just off out to cancel my David Lloyd gym membership. Back in a bit...

Let us know when you've got the whole family signed up and salon access or whatever