Questions of Cash: 'I was charged for phantom Prime subscriptions with Amazon'

A reader's card was used for a Prime subscription on another account

A recent "Questions of Cash" featured a £79 charge imposed by Amazon for a subscription to its Prime service. The reader, PG, did not have an account with Amazon, let alone a subscription with Amazon Prime. The charge was refunded by his card issuer. We have had responses from several readers with similar difficulties.

Q. I made a transcript of a conversation with Amazon, which mirrors your letter.

Me: I have a payment of £79 showing on my credit card statement. My [Amazon] account says I am not a member of Prime and I don't remember signing up for it.

Amazon call centre: I've investigated your account and confirmed the £79 charge you reported was for an Amazon Prime membership. However, I don't see a Prime membership associated with your account. I have refunded the £79.

Me: Yes, that's the point. My account does not show a Prime subscription. So, my card has been used for a subscription on another account. Using the reference number, you should be able to find out whose account has purchased Prime. Then I can find out if there is a fraud issue with someone using my card without authorisation.

Amazon: I have refunded you the Prime charge. The person who subscribed will now receive an email that they have used your payment card to subscribe, and they will contact you and confirm that they have used your payment card to subscribe. Due to security reasons we are not authorised to give the details of another account.

TW, Bristol

Q. Amazon Prime almost got me as well. If you start to buy an item on Amazon, the following screens are displayed: 1, sign in; 2, select a delivery address; 3, choose a delivery option – one of which is Prime. If you click on it by mistake, you are signed up – even though you have not confirmed your choice. If you correct your mistake, it makes no difference; you are immediately enrolled in Prime. I did not proceed or purchase anything, but I was still enrolled with £79 taken a month later. GJ, by email

Q. I am delighted that I read your article on Amazon Prime. I checked my account and discovered that £79 was taken using my credit card. It was difficult to find any appropriate address, either postal or email, to complain. So I used its online heading of "fraud" for my email. I have asked that the £79 be refunded. I have not received an acknowledgement or a reply. JB, Hampshire.

Q. I have also been charged £79 for Amazon Prime, although I have not signed up for it. When I objected, I had a reply from Amazon. It said that I could get out of Amazon Prime in March next year. GJ, Gloucester.

A. Amazon tells us it has resolved all these complaints by giving full refunds. However, it refuses to comment on individual cases, citing data protection. This is unusual for a well-known business. Instead Amazon gave a long statement promoting Prime.

It did provide, more usefully, information on how to get out of a subscription. "If you paid your membership fee as soon as you joined Prime, you may cancel within 14 days after you signed up. If you choose to cancel, we will refund your full membership fee if you and your invitees have not made any eligible purchases or taken advantage of Prime benefits. This service has an annual duration and will be extended automatically. If you don't want your membership to extend automatically, you may change this in 'Your Account' at any time."

Despite this advice, we suggest that anyone who has unknowingly subscribed to Prime contact their card issuer to dispute the charge and request a refund, as well as notifying Amazon. You should not accept that you are signed up for a year to a service you have not used and did not intend to join.