Is anyone else having problems using the Amazon site?

[Alain Maréchal]

I checked earlier to make sure I hadn't accidentally become an Amazon Prime customer (see todays Sunday Times) - £79 per annum apparently. Lots of people apparently signed up without realising it.

How do they "accidentally" pay for it?

[Richard Tarleton]

According to a couple of the "victims" quoted in the ST (Money section) - two say they "may" have signed up for a free trial, one that they "signed up accidentally while choosing postal options". Apparently, if you sign up for the 30 day free trial you need to cancel within 30 days - the "free trial" doesn't just expire. Amazon say: "Customers who agree to a free trial of Prime receive an email informing them of the duration and how to avoid continuing to pay Prime membership".

So customer inertia coupled with failure to read small print seem to be involved. Last year, according to Amazon, membership jumped by 53%; at £79 a shot that's quite an income stream - all for having your parcels delivered on a Sunday.

[Alain Maréchal]

" how to avoid continuing to pay Prime membership" implies that somewhere in the process they started to pay for it. Amazon would have to be really clever to get money out of me without my noticing.

[Beef Oven!]

According to a couple of the "victims" quoted in the ST (Money section) - two say they "may" have signed up for a free trial, one that they "signed up accidentally while choosing postal options". Apparently, if you sign up for the 30 day free trial you need to cancel within 30 days - the "free trial" doesn't just expire. Amazon say: "Customers who agree to a free trial of Prime receive an email informing them of the duration and how to avoid continuing to pay Prime membership".

So customer inertia coupled with failure to read small print seem to be involved. Last year, according to Amazon, membership jumped by 53%; at £79 a shot that's quite an income stream - all for having your parcels delivered on a Sunday.

You get an email explaining it all. At any time during the trial, including the moment to sign up for it, you can set it to NOT roll over to the normal subscription.

No excuse really.

I'm surprised this story made it to any section of any newspaper.

[french frank]

No excuse really.

I'm surprised this story made it to any section of any newspaper.

Perhaps to warn people that even if there is 'no excuse' it's a procedure by big business designed to trap the unwary into parting with their cash? The onus is on the public to stop it happening. It wouldn't be the only company to do it.

[Beef Oven!]

Perhaps to warn people that even if there is 'no excuse' it's a procedure by big business designed to trap the unwary into parting with their cash? The onus is on the public to stop it happening. It wouldn't be the only company to do it.

Small businesses, not just big businesses go in for this sort of 'trick'.

The point I'm making, is that unlike taking out a trial subscription to the Guardian newspaper, where you need to remember to contact them before the trial period ends, or else you've been snared. Easily forgotten, trapping the unwary - with Amazon you can immediately go into your settings and select the option for it not to roll-over.

You can just forget about your Amazon prime trial from the moment you take it out. You know you can't be 'had'. That can't be said of most other businesses who go in for this sort of thing.

I think the newspaper chose the wrong example. The unwary are many times more likely to be trapped by other firms, than by Amazon, IMV.

Amazon, whatever one thinks of them, have the best customer services relationship with their customers than any other firm in the world, IMV.

[doversoul1]

I was one of those inert customers who accidentally signed up for the service. When I had the credit card statement, I thought I had been charged for something I didn’t buy, so I contacted their customer service (it took me hours to find which ‘option’ I was supposed to use for this). I had a fairly prompt reply with a detailed explanation, and I was reimbursed without any problems.

I think the description of the postal options was not very clear to someone like me to whom internet shopping wasn’t part of normal life, as it looked as if it was simply another option for the order I was placing then.

[Beef Oven!]

I was one of those inert customers who accidentally signed up for the service. When I had the credit card statement, I thought I had been charged for something I didn’t buy, so I contacted their customer service (it took me hours to find which ‘option’ I was supposed to use for this). I had a fairly prompt reply with a detailed explanation, and I was reimbursed without any problems.

I think the description of the postal options was not very clear to someone like me to whom internet shopping wasn’t part of normal life, as it looked as if it was simply another option for the order I was placing then.

This happened to my friend who took the trial out the same time as me last year (I've had about 5/6 trials). After two months he noticed he'd had money paid to Amazon. He 'phoned them and they cancelled it and reimbursed the two months' money he'd paid. They are very good like that, Amazon. You wouldn't get that sort of service off other firms, IMV.

[Richard Tarleton]

My sister also, I've just discovered. But yes, Beef, speaking personally I have had nothing but good experiences with
Amazon. Especially if you live in the sticks, they make a big difference.

I've had about 5/6 trials