Accidentally signed up to Amazon Prime? You're not alone

More than four million consumers who signed up to Amazon Prime may have done so accidentally, new Which? research suggests.

And almost a quarter of those surveyed who signed up by mistake only realised when they saw a payment had been taken by Amazon on their bank statement. 

Find out what to watch out for, and how to cancel Amazon Prime below. 

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One in eight joined Amazon Prime by mistake

Two thirds of people in the UK have at some point had a subscription to Amazon Prime, according to a nationally representative survey of 2,000 people conducted by Which? in March 2023. 

And some 13% (1 in 8) of consumers who signed up did so by mistake. That's estimated at almost 9% of the UK adult population, or more than 4.5 million consumers.

Almost a quarter of those who accidentally signed up only realised they had done so when they found that they had been charged. 

We've had reports of scammers impersonating Amazon Prime to steal personal information - read more about the Amazon Prime scam.

How customers can find themselves signed up to Amazon Prime

Consumers tend to accidentally buy Prime while purchasing items on Amazon, as it can be hard to differentiate between a 'fast' or 'expedited' delivery option and a Prime sign up. 

Our survey indicates that older consumers aged 65+ were most likely to sign up to Prime by accident (19% of those who had ever had a subscription), but younger consumers (18-29) were also fairly likely to have done so (15%). Consumers in the 30-49 year old age bracket were least likely to have signed up accidentally (9%).

Some 38% of those who had signed up by mistake had done so in the last year, with 46% doing so one to three years ago, and 15% longer than that.

Although lower income (earning £21k or under) consumers were less likely to use Prime, those who were enrolled were more likely to have signed up accidentally (17%) than those not on low incomes (12%).

The majority (70%) of consumers who had signed up accidentally to Prime cancelled their subscription. See how to do that below. 

Amazon said it 'strongly disagrees' with Which?’s findings, and says they are based on a number of incorrect assumptions and misleading claims. It said signing up is simple and transparent, and once customers sign up, they receive an email to let them know their membership has started, as well as updates throughout their Prime membership making them aware of new offers and announcements.

It also said Prime members who have signed up and not used their benefits can cancel easily and request a full refund, and that if a customer has questions it should contact the Amazon Customer Service team.

Which? research has also uncovered a range of tactics used on Amazon to solicit fake reviews. Find out how to spot a fake review with our in-depth guide.

How are customers signed up?

Many of us regularly use Amazon for everything from weekly essentials to browsing for bargains, so it's easy to breeze through the checkout process without paying too much attention. If you're not sure you want to join Prime quite yet, it's worth keeping an eye on what you're doing.

When you make your way to checkout you'll be asked to choose a payment method, then a delivery option. At this stage you may get asked if you want to sign up to Amazon Prime - be careful what you click and check carefully to ensure you do not access a Prime trial, unless of course you want to.

Proceeding through the order, you may get asked again and should check the delivery option you choose carefully. Selecting the 'free' delivery option could mean you're opting to sign up to Amazon Prime.

Always double-check the final order total carefully, and don't rush to make an order, so you can ensure you make an informed decision about the various checkboxes and pop-ups that appear, tempting you towards Amazon Prime.

How to cancel Amazon Prime

If you think you've accidentally signed up, check your Amazon account or your email for a confirmation message.

You can cancel your Prime membership in your Amazon account settings. Go to 'Your Account' from the 'Accounts & Lists' menu, click the Prime box at the top right, and select from the Membership Management options.

If you've been charged after signing up by mistake, contact Amazon to request a refund. You can do this through the support pages on the Amazon website - either by requesting a call from an agent, or by using Live Chat.