Amazon Ordered to Pay Up to $1.5 Billion in Refunds for Unknowing Prime Subscribers

Amazon has been ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to pay up to $1.5 billion in refunds to customers who were unknowingly enrolled in Prime subscriptions that they did not sign up for.

The maximum refund per customer has increased from $51 to $200, and Amazon will automatically send refunds to eligible customers without requiring them to file a claim.

According to the FTC, the settlement was reached after evidence showed that Amazon enrolled millions of Prime subscribers in additional subscriptions without their knowledge or consent and made cancellation difficult.

The revised order requires Amazon to send automatic refunds to 'millions of additional consumers who used between 11 and 20 Prime benefits during a one-year period.'