Amazon Prime charges anger customers

  • Published
Amazon LogoImage source, Getty Images

Are you paying Amazon £79 a year for something you didn't even know you'd signed up for?

Many customers are complaining they're being charged for Amazon Prime, even though they hadn't realised they'd committed to a contract.

Prime membership guarantees free one-day delivery on millions of items as well as a number of other perks.

The website does state that subscribers will be upgraded to a paid membership at the end of the free trial.

Image source, PA

Reports suggested that Amazon Prime added 10 million new subscribers in the last three months of 2014 alone.

It also claimed that Amazon Prime members now represent nearly half of all Amazon customers.

It's not known how many users there are in the UK, but Amazon tell us it's "millions".

As well as free delivery, Prime customers get unlimited photo storage and access to an instant video streaming service.

But if you look on social media, you will see some customers are unhappy and they seem to be telling similar stories.

They claim they are or have been Amazon customers and may at some point have agreed to a Prime free trial, but hadn't realised that once that period was over automatic payments of £79 would be taken out of their account every year.

Image source, Twitter

Amazon says: "Customers who sign up to a free trial of Prime receive an email informing them of the duration of the free trial and how to avoid continuing to paid Prime Membership.

"Customers who become full Prime members can cancel their membership at any time and we will refund the full membership if the customer has not made any eligible purchases or used any Prime benefits."

Image source, Twitter

If you want to avoid your free trial being extended to a paid service go to Your Account on Amazon and adjust your membership settings within 30 days of signing up.

You can cancel your membership in Your Account at any time.

Full refunds are only given if you've not used any of the Prime benefits.

Follow @BBCNewsbeat, external on Twitter, BBCNewsbeat, external on Instagram and Radio1Newsbeat, external on YouTube