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Consumer Groups Take Amazon to Task Over Prime Cancellation Process

Amazon is coming under fire from consumer groups for how it handles Prime cancellation....
Consumer Groups Take Amazon to Task Over Prime Cancellation Process
Written by Matt Milano
  • Amazon is coming under fire from consumer groups for how it handles Prime cancellation.

    Amazon Prime is a wildly popular service the online giant offers, providing expedited shipping, steaming services, ebooks, groceries, gaming and more. Given everything the service offers, it’s $119 per year fee is a good deal, especially compared to other streaming services.

    When customers do want to cancel, however, Amazon doesn’t make it easy, running them through multiple prompts and warnings. This has caught the attention of consumer groups in both the US and the EU, according to The Seattle Times.

    A Norwegian customer rights group has filed a legal complaint against Amazon, citing the company’s cancellation policy.

    “It should be as easy to end a subscription as it was to subscribe in the first place,” said Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad, director of digital policy for the Norwegian Consumer Council. “This practice not only betrays the expectations and trust of consumers but breaches European law.”

    Groups in other EU countries have expressed support, sharing similar concerns. Even in the US, the Public Citizen consumer group has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Amazon’s policy.

    “Amazon should treat customers with respect instead of trying to undermine their autonomy and fight their decisions,” said Burcu Kilic, Public Citizen’s director of digital rights program.

    It remains to be seen if regulators will do anything about Amazon’s Prime cancellation, but the scrutiny is further evidence of the increased pressure Big Tech is under.

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