News1 min ago
Amazon Free Shipping
11 Answers
I ordered an item on Amazon which advertised free shipping only to find that they added post and packaging when I went to checkout.
There was no mention regarding having to join Amazon Prime, how do I contact Amazon with my complaint?
There was no mention regarding having to join Amazon Prime, how do I contact Amazon with my complaint?
Answers
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The usual wording (or certainly the one that I seem to encounter regularly) is "Free shipping on qualifying orders over £20 despatched by Amazon".
So, in order to get the free shipping, you need to spend more than £20 on orders that are either actually sold by Amazon or are 'fulfilled by Amazon' (where the vendor sends their stock to Amazon and Amazon is then responsible for mailing it out to buyers). Orders from Amazon Marketplace sellers (where the items are sent directly from those sellers) don't qualify.
If you purchase an item that has such a 'free shipping' offer shown, but you don't buy more than £20 worth of qualifying items in total, the 'free shipping' offer lapses and you get charged for carriage.
So, in order to get the free shipping, you need to spend more than £20 on orders that are either actually sold by Amazon or are 'fulfilled by Amazon' (where the vendor sends their stock to Amazon and Amazon is then responsible for mailing it out to buyers). Orders from Amazon Marketplace sellers (where the items are sent directly from those sellers) don't qualify.
If you purchase an item that has such a 'free shipping' offer shown, but you don't buy more than £20 worth of qualifying items in total, the 'free shipping' offer lapses and you get charged for carriage.
You have to be really careful which delivery option is highlighted. I did this recently, and had to find out quickly how to cancel. Managed it okay, went back and reordered and was careful to click on free delivery.
The automatic one highlighted is the one for next day delivery so has postage and packing charges.
The automatic one highlighted is the one for next day delivery so has postage and packing charges.
^^^ Good point, Cashier.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if having the more expensive option pre-selected was ever challenged in the courts. As I read the Consumer Contracts Regulations, a customer leaving a pre-selected (and fee-paying) carriage option unchanged, when free shipping was offered on the page offering the item for sale, would be entitled to receive the fee-paying service free of charge. (i.e. he/she would be entitled to demand the shipping fee back).
It would be interesting to see what would happen if having the more expensive option pre-selected was ever challenged in the courts. As I read the Consumer Contracts Regulations, a customer leaving a pre-selected (and fee-paying) carriage option unchanged, when free shipping was offered on the page offering the item for sale, would be entitled to receive the fee-paying service free of charge. (i.e. he/she would be entitled to demand the shipping fee back).
Another thing to watch out for with Amazon is that, even if you initially avoid clicking on an option to sign up to Amazon Prime, you can still encounter a screen that says you've been given a free trial subscription. You then need to look for the button marked 'Continue without Prime' (which doesn't exactly leap off the page at you) to avoid getting clobbered for monthly payments once that trial ends.
Further to CHRIS' reply, it's Section 40 of The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
It says,
"Additional payments under a contract
40.—(1) Under a contract between a trader and a consumer, no payment is payable in addition to the remuneration agreed for the trader’s main obligation unless, before the consumer became bound by the contract, the trader obtained the consumer’s express consent.
(2) There is no express consent (if there would otherwise be) for the purposes of this paragraph if consent is inferred from the consumer not changing a default option (such as a pre-ticked box on a website).
(3) This regulation does not apply if the trader’s main obligation is to supply services within regulation 6(1)(b), but in any other case it applies even if an additional payment is for such services.
(4) Where a trader receives an additional payment which, under this regulation, is not payable under a contract, the contract is to be treated as providing for the trader to reimburse the payment to the consumer."
It says,
"Additional payments under a contract
40.—(1) Under a contract between a trader and a consumer, no payment is payable in addition to the remuneration agreed for the trader’s main obligation unless, before the consumer became bound by the contract, the trader obtained the consumer’s express consent.
(2) There is no express consent (if there would otherwise be) for the purposes of this paragraph if consent is inferred from the consumer not changing a default option (such as a pre-ticked box on a website).
(3) This regulation does not apply if the trader’s main obligation is to supply services within regulation 6(1)(b), but in any other case it applies even if an additional payment is for such services.
(4) Where a trader receives an additional payment which, under this regulation, is not payable under a contract, the contract is to be treated as providing for the trader to reimburse the payment to the consumer."
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