WATCH YOUR AMAZON SAVED CREDIT CARDS

[SliceOfLife]

So I'm cancelling a credit card because it's an annual fee/bad rate/etc. Generally don't want it. I go to cancel it after not using it for a month and having it fully paid off. There's a $15.89 balance.

I've used the card to buy things on Amazon before.

I've NEVER used it to pay for prime.

I cancelled Prime last month and have ordered multiple times since and believe me, I know for a fact I don't have prime.

They billed me on this card (Which was NEVER used for prime billing, but which they DID have on file) for a prime membership... that I don't have.

If I hadn't been cancelling the card anyway, probably would have seen the charge and assumed it was an Amazon Purchase and not given it a second thought.

When I made them reverse it, they first claimed a family member was using the card to pay for their prime... then just shut up when I told them no one else had the card.

I'd wager dollars to donuts this is a massive scam they're perpetrating, fraudulently billing cards that are saved. Check every card you've ever used on Amazon.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

Perhaps you unintentionally clicked on a ‘get your delivery faster’ option while checking out once, or clicked on a free trial membership without meaning to. They sneak those things in every way they can and dress it up so it doesn’t sound like you’re subscribing to something (after the free trial period ends and you didn’t go in and cancel it - which you would never find how to do anyway, because they don’t want you to find it).

I bet there’s loads of ways you could have triggered a Prime subscription without knowing. At least they reversed the charge when you noticed, and I suppose they expect a certain percentage to do that given the sneaky ways they sell it.

 

[kooshman7]

I wouldn't even talk to them. I'd issue a chargeback right away. Mr. Shavington is right of the scenario described, yet it's still a scam. Companies have no problems doing such a thing to add extra profits. It's why I always roll my eyes when people go off on a tangent about regulations. As if I can expect a company to do the right thing. Given long enough, they'll test the boundaries for what they can get away with.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Perhaps you unintentionally clicked on a ‘get your delivery faster’ option while checking out once, or clicked on a free trial membership without meaning to. They sneak those things in every way they can and dress it up so it doesn’t sound like you’re subscribing to something (after the free trial period ends and you didn’t go in and cancel it - which you would never find how to do anyway, because they don’t want you to find it).

I bet there’s loads of ways you could have triggered a Prime subscription without knowing. At least they reversed the charge when you noticed, and I suppose they expect a certain percentage to do that given the sneaky ways they sell it.

But I don't have prime. I've been ordering multiple times a week all month... without Prime. If I clicked (or actually LEFT clicked, because they often DEFAULT to select a prime subscription in checkout)... then I'd have Prime. When I saw the charge, from 11 days ago, for a month of Prime... first thing I did was went to my account and checked if I had prime... Because I've ordered maybe 6 times in the past 11 days, and either paid shipping or made sure I had $25 of Amazon shipped items every time after clicking to NOT sign up for Prime... every single time. And their site flat out said "You ain't Got Prime!"

They billed me for Prime... But didn't GIVE me Prime... Because that would clue me into the fact that they were BILLING me for it... and I'd cancel.

 

[AlphaFrank75]

The only CC I've ever used with Amazon is the Amazon CC. 5% back on all Amazon purchase, beats all my other CC rewards and I never use it anywhere else. Having CC issues bites the big one though. Makes me want to reach through the phone line a choke someone.

 

[muzichead]

......

 

[muzichead]

I cancelled Prime last month

But I don't have prime

Maybe you didn't cancel it in the time frame they set....it happens....

 

[Hair Scraper]

And their site flat out said "You ain't Got Prime!"

You do have Crime, though.

 

[CapnPanther]

Amazon, what can I say? If I could never deal with them, I would. But as the trite old saying goes, can't live with them, can't live without them. When it works, which is 98% of the time, it's great. When it doesn't, the amount of grief it inflicts knows no bounds.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Maybe you didn't cancel it in the time frame they set....it happens....

1. I did. I cancelled it on 12/29.
2. Amazon has you choose when cancelling Prime if you want remaining days value of prime refunded or to keep prime until the renewal date. You don't really forget to cancel and get stuck with the fee. You can elect for a refund of remaining days value at any time. In fact that's exactly what happened on 12/29... I renewed automatically, saw it, didn't want Prime anymore (had subbed for Xmas gift purchases), immediately cancelled and selected to be refunded the 15.89.

Trust me. I am not making a mistake. SOMEONE fraudulently charged me for Prime... and I strongly suspect it was Amazon... because there were NO other charges on the card... in the 2+ weeks before I saw the charge... and that's a pretty lazy criminal if it's someone who stole my CC number. Seems high risk low reward to commit CC fraud, give the vendor your name and address... and steal $16.

 

[skibik]

Upon checkout about a year ago I accidentally clicked check out with prime and got charged for it. Last November they had a Prime monthly trial and I sign up for it and watch videos but what a joke Prime is these days. What used to be Prime a few years ago I actually got my order in 2-3 days and I am in the middle of nowhere USA. But it has gotten bad lately, ordered some stuff on the free trial, of course not all you order is prime, but what is prime eligible takes 2-3 days just to get to shipped status and another 3-4 days to get, that's not Prime. Without Prime has even gotten bad over the last couple years also and only takes maybe 2 days longer than with Prime to get orders so why bother paying for it.

 

[timetofly]

Practicing Real Innovative Means of Extortion

 

[Lane101]

Perhaps you unintentionally clicked on a ‘get your delivery faster’ option while checking out once, or clicked on a free trial membership without meaning to. They sneak those things in every way they can and dress it up so it doesn’t sound like you’re subscribing to something (after the free trial period ends and you didn’t go in and cancel it - which you would never find how to do anyway, because they don’t want you to find it).

I bet there’s loads of ways you could have triggered a Prime subscription without knowing. At least they reversed the charge when you noticed, and I suppose they expect a certain percentage to do that given the sneaky ways they sell it.

We have both Prime and non-prime accounts. You are right on the latter if you that are not very careful you will enroll yourself in Prime thinking that you are just clicking on a faster delivery. I've some background in web design and they designed the checkout sequence explicitly to prioritize options that have you enroll in prime when you are just trying to quickly complete a purchase. Prime enrollment options are listed first with bolder print so that it's likely a significant percentage of folks enroll without realizing it.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I dumped that company a couple of years ago. If the only place I can get something is Amazon, I'd rather go without it. It was for a different reason in my case, but I am still glad to have closed my account there.

 

[gpjoe]

Perhaps you unintentionally clicked on a ‘get your delivery faster’ option while checking out once, or clicked on a free trial membership without meaning to. They sneak those things in every way they can and dress it up so it doesn’t sound like you’re subscribing to something (after the free trial period ends and you didn’t go in and cancel it - which you would never find how to do anyway, because they don’t want you to find it).

I bet there’s loads of ways you could have triggered a Prime subscription without knowing. At least they reversed the charge when you noticed, and I suppose they expect a certain percentage to do that given the sneaky ways they sell it.

That is exactly what I thought.

 

[gpjoe]

I dumped that company a couple of years ago. If the only place I can get something is Amazon, I'd rather go without it. It was for a different reason in my case, but I am still glad to have closed my account there.

I don't have Prime anymore but still occasionally buy on Amazon. My first stop now for shaving stuff is Pasteur - free shipping baby!

 

[RayClem]

It is always wise to keep a record of all accounts that save your credit card or bank information. Several months ago, I lost one of my credit cards so the bank cancelled that card and issued a new card with a different number. I had to go back and change the number on every account that was linked to my original card.

I try to make out of state purchases like shaving goods using my PayPal account which is linked to one of my credit cards. That way, the vendors do not have a record of my credit card information. It also provides me with a record of all purchases I make.

Here in Illinois, there is a "Use Tax" which means that if the sales tax paid on out of state purchase is less than the Illinois sales tax, I have to pay the difference at tax time. Having all out of state purchases within my PayPal account makes that accounting simpler. If I did not keep track of the individual purchases and sales taxes paid, I would need to base my Use Tax payment as a percentage of my adjusted gross income and I would end up paying double what I actually owe. Since Amazon has facilities within Illinois, they charge IL sales tax and I do not need to worry about those purchases.