Court tries Amazon for allegedly deceiving customers to sell Prime subscriptions
According to the indictment, the ecommerce giant signed up new customers without clear consent and through confusing payment processes while creating an intentionally complicated cancellation system, known internally as "Iliad."
Amazon headquarters/ Alfredo Estrella
(AFP) A court will try e-commerce giant Amazon beginning Monday. It is accused of using deceiving practices to sell millions of subscriptions to its Prime service and then making it nearly impossible to cancel.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint, filed in June 2023, Amazon used so-called "dark patterns" to trick its customers into subscribing to the Prime service ($139 per year) when they made a purchase.
According to the indictment, the company signed up new customers without clear consent and through confusing payment processes while creating an intentionally complicated opt-out system, known internally as "Iliad."
The trial will be held in federal court in the city of Seattle and will be presided over by Judge John Chun, who is also handling a separate case in which the FTC accuses Amazon of monopolistic practices.
According to court documents, Amazon was aware of the "non-consensual enrollment" to Prime, but refused to make changes to prevent it from affecting its revenue.
"Amazon forced customers to navigate confusing interfaces"
In its defense, Amazon claims it has improved its Prime sign-up and cancellation processes and that the allegations are outdated.
In the event of being found liable, the company is exposed to heavy financial penalties and may have to change its subscription practices.
LATEST
