Amazon Prime is giving refunds to customers and it is 'very easy and simple'

The amount consumers are spending on "accidental subscriptions" has risen sharply according to new research - but that doesn't mean you are trapped. Refunds for unused subscriptions may be simpler than you reckon according to experts.

Recent research from Citizens Advice reveals that the amount consumers are shelling out on "accidental subscriptions" has seen a significant increase: it estimates that unused subscriptions have cost us a whopping £688m in the past year. The charity discovered that many of those affected reported that the subscription "auto-renewed" without their knowledge, or they signed up for a free trial but forgot to cancel later.

However, securing a refund for a service you haven't used might be easier than you think. These subscriptions span a wide range of services, from TV and music streaming to newspapers and magazines, and from fitness apps to dating and food delivery services.

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Many companies don't make the refund process clear. It could be that information on how to request a refund is hidden in the terms and conditions, or you need to contact the company directly.

Sylvia Tillman had a similar experience and was equally taken aback when she signed up to the Babbel language learning app, The Guardian reports. "I'd had the app for a year, hadn't used it much, and it automatically renewed via my credit card," she explains. She promptly contacted the company.

"A polite email to their customer service team and the suggestion that they should be able to see that I hadn't used it for ages sorted it fairly quickly, and I got a refund," she shares, adding that the refunded amount around £70 appeared on her next credit card statement.

Babbel told the newspaper that it always offers refunds 20 days after the initial purchase, "no explanation needed", and that with auto-renewal, "our customer support team is always happy to look into it". However, some people have to put up more of a fight. Bex Seeley Harris subscribed to a weight loss app but decided to cancel after not using it.

"I thought I had cancelled in time," she recalls. By the time she realised her subscription had not been cancelled, she had already made four out of the six monthly payments. When I realised, I contacted the company and my bank to get the payments stopped."

Eventually, she was refunded and spared the final two payments but felt frustrated that this was allowed to happen in the first place. Consumer champion Helen Dewdney advises that it's always worth requesting a refund for services not utilised.

"It's easy to get caught by these traps even I've forgotten to cancel an Amazon Prime free trial. I didn't use the account for four months. But Amazon does refund this if you haven't used it," she said, cautioning however that there's no obligation for firms to return money for subscriptions that weren't cancelled in time.

"For Amazon, just go on the online chat and request it. It's usually very easy and simple."