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I see it on the list here, and I know it’s not the most universally malicious of dark patterns, but Amazon defaulting users to a “subscription” on things like v

I see it on the list here, and I know it’s not the most universally malicious of dark patterns, but Amazon defaulting users to a “subscription” on things like vitamins, diapers, toilet paper, etc. is so annoying. Reminds me of a time I was in their Seattle book store maybe six months ago and overheard the person at the register telling every customer they “qualified for a free audiobook” and that he’d get them all set up. At no point did he mention that the customer was being subscribed to Audible or that they’d be eventually charged for the service. I can only imagine the discussions up the food chain that made this retail employee feel like this was alright. I shudder thinking about how many people are probably being charged to this day because they simply never noticed (I doubt I would!) Gross gross gross.

edoceo 5y ago
So, that's how Jeff got all that money. Slight-of-hand through his expendable pawns.
grishka 5y ago
How would one not notice being charged? Do you not get an SMS or a push notification for every transaction in real time?
- dain_ 5y ago
  This happened to me several years ago. I signed up to Audible's free trial, got a single audiobook, then decided I wasn't really an audiobook person and forgot about it. Then many months later I noticed I'd been charged monthly (I think ~$10 USD or so?) for a service I never even used, and I don't remember even giving my card details for (it is my longstanding policy never to continue with "free trials" if they ever ask for payment details during signup, exactly because I know I'll forget and get charged). It turned out to be the card I use with Amazon -- I think I must have signed up for Audible using my Amazon account and they automatically used the card I had saved with that, without telling me. I don't remember the full details of it but I ended up hours on the phone with Audible trying to claw back my money.
- rootsudo 5y ago
  No, at best maybe an email but it does not show up in recent orders on Amazon. The plus side is Amazon is really good about refunding - I had kindle and music trials that I thought I cancelled, go for almost a year+ and they refunded the entire subscription. The amounts of $9.99/14.99 are small enough that it's noise on the credit card amount, and it's all auto pay to pay in full anyway. So unless you do quarterly audits, you won't catch it.
  - grishka 5y ago
    Uh, probably another US weirdness then. Over here SMS alerts are standard. Depending on the bank, there might be a tiny monthly fee for them. I just can't imagine someone charging my card and me not knowing about that immediately.
    - LegitShady 5y ago
      my bank didn't get 2 factor authorization until long after reddit did.
ectopod 5y ago
> I can only imagine the discussions up the food chain that made this retail employee feel like this was alright. It doesn't work like that. The management give the workers mandatory sales targets, possibly with a bonus attached. The workers find that the targets are nearly impossible to meet, but it's much easier if they omit some of the important details. Sales go up and management all pat each other on the back. Nobody in management has a difficult conversation or even imagines for a second that they are anything other than a good person making the world a better place.
LegitShady 5y ago
> I see it on the list here, and I know it’s not the most universally malicious of dark patterns, but Amazon defaulting users to a “subscription” on things like vitamins, diapers, toilet paper, etc. is so annoying. I cancelled amazon prime and stopped shopping there, and this one of the reasons. The site is increasingly filled with such patterns. Try and buy something without prime and it offers it to me on 2-3 screens, including the shipping screen after you've already told it no to prime. Ostensibly someone might change their mind, but to me it looks like trying to get accept clicks out of customers who don't read the screens just click buttons. >Reminds me of a time I was in their Seattle book store maybe six months ago and overheard the person at the register telling every customer they “qualified for a free audiobook” and that he’d get them all set up. I would never go back to a place that gave me an in person audible commercial.
anitil 5y ago
Quite a few retail shops try this sort of rubbish now. I've given up saying 'no' and just give fake numbers and emails now.

edoceo 5y ago

So, that's how Jeff got all that money. Slight-of-hand through his expendable pawns.

grishka 5y ago

How would one not notice being charged? Do you not get an SMS or a push notification for every transaction in real time?

dain_ 5y ago
This happened to me several years ago. I signed up to Audible's free trial, got a single audiobook, then decided I wasn't really an audiobook person and forgot about it. Then many months later I noticed I'd been charged monthly (I think ~$10 USD or so?) for a service I never even used, and I don't remember even giving my card details for (it is my longstanding policy never to continue with "free trials" if they ever ask for payment details during signup, exactly because I know I'll forget and get charged). It turned out to be the card I use with Amazon -- I think I must have signed up for Audible using my Amazon account and they automatically used the card I had saved with that, without telling me. I don't remember the full details of it but I ended up hours on the phone with Audible trying to claw back my money.
rootsudo 5y ago
No, at best maybe an email but it does not show up in recent orders on Amazon. The plus side is Amazon is really good about refunding - I had kindle and music trials that I thought I cancelled, go for almost a year+ and they refunded the entire subscription. The amounts of $9.99/14.99 are small enough that it's noise on the credit card amount, and it's all auto pay to pay in full anyway. So unless you do quarterly audits, you won't catch it.
- grishka 5y ago
  Uh, probably another US weirdness then. Over here SMS alerts are standard. Depending on the bank, there might be a tiny monthly fee for them. I just can't imagine someone charging my card and me not knowing about that immediately.
  - LegitShady 5y ago
    my bank didn't get 2 factor authorization until long after reddit did.

ectopod 5y ago

> I can only imagine the discussions up the food chain that made this retail employee feel like this was alright. It doesn't work like that. The management give the workers mandatory sales targets, possibly with a bonus attached. The workers find that the targets are nearly impossible to meet, but it's much easier if they omit some of the important details. Sales go up and management all pat each other on the back. Nobody in management has a difficult conversation or even imagines for a second that they are anything other than a good person making the world a better place.

LegitShady 5y ago

> I see it on the list here, and I know it’s not the most universally malicious of dark patterns, but Amazon defaulting users to a “subscription” on things like vitamins, diapers, toilet paper, etc. is so annoying. I cancelled amazon prime and stopped shopping there, and this one of the reasons. The site is increasingly filled with such patterns. Try and buy something without prime and it offers it to me on 2-3 screens, including the shipping screen after you've already told it no to prime. Ostensibly someone might change their mind, but to me it looks like trying to get accept clicks out of customers who don't read the screens just click buttons. >Reminds me of a time I was in their Seattle book store maybe six months ago and overheard the person at the register telling every customer they “qualified for a free audiobook” and that he’d get them all set up. I would never go back to a place that gave me an in person audible commercial.

anitil 5y ago

Quite a few retail shops try this sort of rubbish now. I've given up saying 'no' and just give fake numbers and emails now.