Forum Topic

Cancelling Amazon Prime

I needed to place an order from Amazon on Christmas Day, but had to accept Prime. Since them I have tried in vain to cancel, but with no luck. Can anyone suggest how I could do this before May 25th comes round?

Arnold Saxton ● 1595d28 Comments

Arnold, go to the Amazon website, and in the top right-hand corner, click on 'Account and Lists'. When that page comes up, you'll see a list of items on the right. Scroll down and click on 'Your Prime Membership'. When you click on that, you'll see 'Update, Cancel and More'. Just follow the steps from there.

Colin Jordan ● 1595d

People always struggle with this, me included.  About to do it again on Friday, so this may come in handy. Thanks

Maggie Dodge ● 1595d

I don't use Amazon as a result of their methods.  I wonder how many people are unwittingly continually financing their excessive use of our roads and other questionable methods.  There  are generally other options eg John Lewis and collect at Waitrose.  In France they still have bookshops because they made a stand against these big global companies who don't pay tax equivalent to their sales in each country.Everybody should check that they have not inadvertently been caught.  If I use them in desperation again I think I'll try and take a screenshot of each page of the transaction.FYI Which? has in the past managed to get them to make a change to make their website and method clearer but perhaps they've changed their webpages again.  It's hard not to be cynical about them.  Should Which? be alerted again?

Philippa Bond ● 1595d

The cancellation process is simple and clear. Amazon are now the fulfilment 'engine' for thousands of small companies and are the source of things such as toilet seat buffers, curtain rod hooks and 'proper' powdered starch. None of these were available locally. So. my choice drive miles once I find a stockist or use Amazon who posted two of the three items and delivered one in a grey electric van.

N V Brooks ● 1595d

Unfortunately it can be just too easy to use Amazon for everything and if we do we will all lose further local shops and services.  Ideally make the effort and don't make it the first call - shop locally.  We just don't need everything in several next day deliveries using several vans - electric or not.  That fighting with all the oversized boxes needing to be disposed of with your recycling will be reduced too.Ideally you also wouldn't be put in the position of having to cancel membership.  Oh and its not quite as easy to cancel that membership if you no longer have the machine that you made the order that caused you the problem on and any reference to it!

Philippa Bond ● 1594d

You can often buy directly from the small company and not give Amazon a cut.Amazon are often not the cheapest these days either.  Now they have something close to a monopoly on online shopping, prices have risen.I use Amazon sometimes, but I normally look to see if I can get it elsewhere first.  For computer parts, somewhere like Scan is normally better.  Their delivery is very quick as well.  I've ordered something at 8 in the evening, and had it at 10 the next morning.  They are a British company, and don't dodge tax by moving it to Luxembourg.

Al Webber ● 1594d

Shopping online almost always incurs shocking delivery fees. Amazon Prime is free delivery (usually next day). It’s fantastic!  Saves the hassle of looking (and paying extortionate amounts) for parking!  Councils now actively discourage high street shopping so Amazon Prime is a Godsend. The genius of Jeff Bezos. Amazon kept the economy rolling during the pandemic so they deserve some loyalty and they are definitely on the ‘green’ path and environmentally friendly!  A fantastic organisation.

Steve Taylor ● 1594d

Agree.

Janice Evans ● 1594d

My reply yesterday, thanking Colin for his advice which enabled me to cancel, apparently didn't get accepted. As for shopping locally, please tell me where in Chiswick I can purchase opera DVDs? I know that will immediately brand me as an elitist snob, but to each his own, n'est-ce pas. I ordered on Christmas day because my visitor was anxious to view a particular production before he set off home.

Arnold Saxton ● 1594d

Where can you buy some underwear except if you wish to pay £20/30 for one boxer short so you have to make a trip. Half of what i normally need you cant get in shops so Amazon is great and will continue to use them.

Julian Pavey ● 1594d

I've used Amazon for some things,  and I agree that they do stock things that would be difficult to source elsewhere.  They might be convenient,  but they're not known for treating their staff that well,  as the headline below demonstrates.  "A Hard-Hitting Investigative Report Into Amazon Shows That Workers’ Needs Were Neglected In Favor Of Getting Goods Delivered Quickly"

Nora Watkins ● 1594d

How old is that report?  I recall that there were some problems with staff at their Midlands depot (was it Rugely or Lichfield?) but that was some 10 years ago!

Steve Taylor ● 1594d

Arnold, the fact that you love opera certainly does not make you an 'elitist snob', but I don't know whether you'll be able to get hold of what you want in Chiswick today. Chiswick used to be blessed with several good  music shops where records and DVDs of any type of music could be easily obtained or ordered, but they all seem to have disappeared in the last few years. There may be other places in the West London area, but could you not perhaps just go online to find what you're looking for? I'm sure there are sources other than Amazon which could supply what you want. Good luck.

Colin Jordan ● 1594d

“ I'm sure there are sources other than Amazon which could supply what you want. Good luck.”But why not just use Amazon Prime if they supply what you want, by required date, at a competitive price, with free delivery?

Steve Taylor ● 1593d

The headline is from last Autumn Steve,  and there are quite a few others.  The TUC has a recent article on their website too.  However convenient it is,  there's a reason why you can buy things so cheaply from Amazon.

Nora Watkins ● 1593d

Yes, I believe the reason you can buy things so conveniently and competitively is because they have a brilliant business plan and are well run. They don’t seem to have any staffing problems either so their business model seems to work.

Steve Taylor ● 1593d

Their business model seems to be taking advantage of people who are desperate for work.  From the TUC website. "Amazon is also known for the multiple ways in which its business model abuses workers’ rights, is actively anti-union, minimises its tax contributions and leverages its position to stifle competition and dodge scrutiny.""But while their profits surged, so did reports of the unsafe working conditions in their fulfilment centres across the globe. In the US, in Spain, in France, in Italy, in Poland, in Germany and in the UK, workers raised the alarm and unions demanded they do better, organising strikes to try and bring Amazon to the table when they dragged their feet or refused to introduce essential safety measures to reduce the risk to these key workers."

Nora Watkins ● 1593d

Too difficult to navigate Chiswick now.  I buy everything online.

Claire Moran ● 1593d

May ask what the significance of May 25 is? Should I be aware of something changing on Amazon? Or is this just a personal matter.

Sean Wales ● 1593d

The TUC needs to catastrophise in order to justify its existence and the fat cat salaries paid to its executive. Nobody is forced to work for Amazon in the UK. There are thousands of job vacancies across the UK but Amazon offers flexibility of work hours. If there were REALLY health and safety issues in the UK they would be shut down.  The tax issue is another conversation which needs addressing by Parliament. Amazon is not the only company which benefits by legal loopholes. Every company has the same legal right!

Steve Taylor ● 1593d

The G7 were talking about these big companies and fairer tax.Sean. I'd guess that Arnold's 25 May is the date Amazon take their monthly retainer for the unwanted Prime Membership which he would prefer them not to take.

Philippa Bond ● 1593d

Can’t he simply tell his Credit Card to cancel the payment scheduled for 25 May if he no longer wants the Prime Service.

Steve Taylor ● 1593d

I'm aware that big businesses take advantage of tax loopholes and that's not my point Steve (that was just part of the article and was given for context). I don't think it's as simple as you make out,  and unfortunately,  part of the reason that Amazon can sell cheaply,  is that they put profit over pay and conditions.

Nora Watkins ● 1593d

"part of the reason that Amazon can sell cheaply,  is that they put profit over pay and conditions."The reason they can sell competitively is because they are well run and have millions of shareholders who trust them to earn good dividends. If they were putting profit above pay and conditions they wouldn't have staff or people applying to join the team. No staff = no profit = no dividends = no shareholders = no Amazon.

Steve Taylor ● 1593d

I clearly stated that I ordered the DVD on Christmas day, December 25th, hence the billing on my credit card for the 25th of each month. I have so far been  been billed for more than the cost of the original DVD ('Rigoletto' from Covent Garden, which I had seen but my visitor had not). And Amazon now charge for delivery on many such items. If anyone can suggest any alternative suppliers, reliable and perhaps cheaper, I would be glad to know of them, as I'm about to request yet more opera DVDs for my upcoming landmark birthday, 90 since you ask.And in response to the suggestion that I simply tell my credit card provider to refuse payment, I have had problems with a US based supplier of electronic greetings cards, whom I could not reach to cancel. I was advised that this might be a breach pf contract, so I desisted and still receive messages from them. Sometimes, I just can't be bothered.

Arnold Saxton ● 1593d

Do try Presto Classical which has been my chosen site for all things classical for a number of years. No always the cheapest but their range is vast.

N V Brooks ● 1592d

It's estimated that 2.17 million people used food banks in the UK in 21/22.  Some people don't have a choice about what they do to feed their families Steve.  It's easy to assume having staff means you're treating them well if you've never been in that position.

Nora Watkins ● 1592d

I just cancelled my Prime membership. I think there was a step missed in the earlier advice. Manage membership then the option to cancel. Then you have  to confirm it about 4 times.

Maggie Dodge ● 1592d