Amazon Might Owe You $51. Here’s How to Find Out if You’re Eligible

Amazon customers with a Prime subscription will soon beryllium capable to make claims online for their stock of nan $1.5 cardinal nan institution is being ordered to salary to users successful nan United States.

It’s each portion of a recent settlement pinch nan US Federal Trade Commission. Amazon now has to “provide $1.5 cardinal successful refunds backmost to consumers harmed by their deceptive Prime enrollment practices,” according to a press release from nan FTC. The full colony pinch nan FTC is $2.5 billion, which includes a $1 cardinal punishment owed to nan government.

“There was nary admittance of guilt successful this colony by nan institution aliases immoderate executives,” says Alisa Carroll, an Amazon spokesperson, successful an email sent to WIRED connected Thursday aft nan determination was released. “The colony mostly requires america to support nan sign-up and cancellation process that has been successful spot for respective years—not to make further changes.” She says Amazon will comply pinch nan settlement’s decision.

Who Gets nan Amazon Cash?

Those who are eligible to make a declare whitethorn yet person up to $51 successful total. If you’re 1 of nan millions of Amazon Prime members successful nan US, likelihood are you’re funny astir whether you tin get immoderate of these Bezos bucks. Eligibility hinges connected 2 wide factors, according to nan tribunal bid revenge connected Thursday.

First, nan determination includes immoderate US customers who signed up for Prime “through a Challenged Enrollment Flow” successful nan past six years—from June 23, 2019 to June 23, 2025, to beryllium exact. What counts arsenic a “challenged” sign-up process? The bid says it’s “any type of nan Universal Prime Decision Page, nan Shipping Option Select Page, Prime Video enrollment flow, aliases nan Single Page Checkout.”

That’s rather extensive! Unless you went straight to nan Prime subscription tract to enroll, you very good whitethorn person encountered aggregate nudges from Amazon during nan process that autumn nether this “challenged” sign-up umbrella.

The 2nd group eligible to make a declare are Amazon Prime customers who started nan process of canceling their subscription, but didn’t complete nan cancellation. The ruling covers nan aforesaid six-year clip period. It includes users who became disappointment pinch nan cancellation process and discontinue halfway through, arsenic good arsenic those who took a “Save Offer” that incentivized them to support nan rank for longer.

Customers who autumn into either of these 2 groups, having enrollment aliases cancellation issues, are eligible to make a claim. It’s not required for you to fresh into some categories to get money from nan settlement.

What’s Next?

Not everyone who’s eligible will request to taxable a declare to get nan cash. “Some consumers will person automatic payments successful nan adjacent 90 days,” says FTC spokesperson Christopher Bissex successful an email sent to WIRED. “The remainder of eligible consumers will person a notification from Amazon, and will person nan opportunity to taxable a elemental declare form.”

Subscribers who utilized 3 aliases less of nan benefits provided done Prime successful a azygous twelvemonth whitethorn person nan automatic payment, whereas much avid Prime users will request to make a claim. The specifics astir what precisely counts arsenic a azygous “benefit” stay vague.

WIRED will update this article arsenic much accusation becomes disposable and item really impacted customers will beryllium capable to make their declare pinch Amazon. In erstwhile instances, for illustration nan FTC's Equifax settlement, galore of those eligible made claims done a dedicated website.