To comply with European Union consumer rules, Amazon has pledged to make it easier to cancel its Prime service with welcome changes for its users.
Amazon Prime subscribers will now be able to unsubscribe much more easily with a two-step process. The e-commerce giant has made changes to its interface to update the cancellation process for its paid service. It was following a complaint from three European consumer protection organizations that the European Commission launched an action in April 2021.
An unsubscription process deemed too complex
So far, “reported cancellation practices have consisted of a large number of barriers to unsubscribing, including complicated navigation menus, biased wording, confusing choices, and repeated encouragement. says the statement from the European Commission. Didier Rynders, the Commissioner for Justice, specifies:
“Opting out for an online subscription can be very convenient for consumers, as it is often a very simple process, but unsubscribing should be just as easy. Consumers must be able to exercise their rights without any pressure from the platforms. »
He also commends Amazon’s commitment to simplifying the process by banishing so-called “dark patterns,” those interfaces designed to trick or manipulate users.
Since 2021, this is not the first time that Amazon has reviewed the interface of its Prime service, which already benefited from more explicit cancellation buttons and less text on the pages. From today, the American giant will go even further by removing warnings and other distractions that could dissuade users from canceling their subscription.
An increasingly comprehensive Amazon Prime service
Launched in February 2005, Amazon Prime was not nearly as comprehensive as it is today. Available in more than 18 countries, it has approximately 150 million subscribers. Seventeen years later, the paid service has grown considerably.
It now allows you to take advantage of free and accelerated delivery, but also to consult a catalog of content and services via Amazon Prime Video, Music, Gaming and Reading. It also includes online storage with Photos and Drive. Amazon continues to enrich the service, in particular with Prime Air to be delivered by drones.
As a reminder, Amazon Prime is billed at €5.99 per month or €49 per year. In both cases, a 30-day trial period is offered. In addition, the service recruits new users during its annual “Prime Days” event, which allows members to take advantage of promotional offers.
Source :
European Commission