Amazon May Have Free Money For You After Agreeing To A $2.5 Billion Settlement

Here is a 194-word summary of the key points from the article: The U.S. government has reached a $2.5 billion settlement with Amazon over claims that the company deceptively enrolled customers in Prime memberships and made it difficult for them to cancel. As part of the settlement, Amazon must pay a $1 billion civil penalty and provide $1.5 billion in refunds to consumers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Amazon of using "sophisticated subscription traps" to manipulate consumers into signing up for Prime, and making it exceedingly hard for them to cancel. Amazon denies any wrongdoing but has agreed to change its enrollment and cancellation practices as a result of the settlement. Specifically, Amazon must remove the "No, I don't want free shipping" button and instead offer a clear option to avoid Prime signup. The company must also provide clear disclosures about Prime membership costs and make the cancellation process as easy as signup. Around 35 million Prime members are eligible for refunds of up to $51 each from the $1.5 billion fund, with no further action required on their part. The settlement was announced just before Amazon's upcoming Prime Early Access Sale event.