Amazon forced to make it easier to cancel Prime subscriptions in Europe

London: The European Commission has forced Amazon to simplify the process of canceling Prime membership for customers in the region.

The platform will enable European consumers to unsubscribe from Amazon Prime with just two clicks, using a prominent and clear “cancel button”.

“Opting for an online subscriptions can be very handy for consumers as it is often a very straightforward process, but the reverse action of unsubscribing should be just as easy. Consumers must be able to exercise their rights without any pressure from platforms,” said Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders.

One thing is clear that manipulative design or “dark patterns” must be banned, Reynders said in a statement.

This change was necessary to comply with the EU rules on consumer protection and, in particular, with the Unfair commercial practices Directive.

Previously, to cancel their subscription, consumers had to scroll through multiple pages containing distracting information and unclear button labels.

Overall, the platform will now enable consumers to unsubscribe in two simple steps, through an easy and visible cancellation button.

Amazon has committed to implementing these changes on all its EU websites and for all devices (desktop, mobile and tablet).

Following a complaint by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), the Norwegian Consumer Council and the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue, an action was launched in April 2021 by the Commission in cooperation with national consumer authorities.

The reported cancellation practices consisted in a large number of hurdles to unsubscribe, including complicated navigation menus, skewed wording, confusing choices, and repeated nudging.

“Amazon has now committed to improve its cancellation policy and will implement the changes,” said the commission.