Merry Christmas? Perhaps not for Amazon UK.
The online shopping giant could be the subject of an investigation by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Guardian reported Sunday, adding that the ASA said it received “a handful of complaints” pertaining to late deliveries by Amazon Prime as Christmas approaches.
Prime is a membership service by Amazon that, in the UK, promises subscribers “unlimited one-day delivery” and access to discounts and deals. The service is available as a complimentary 30-day trial and costs £7.99 (which converts to $10.66) every month after.
On its page, which lists the last order dates for Christmas, shoppers are advised that orders for one-day delivery should be submitted by 23 December so items can be delivered the following day, although Amazon adds that dates and times are “subject to availability.”
The company also advises shoppers to reach out to customer service if they do not receive their parcel by the estimated delivery date. UK consumer rights group, Which?, says a late delivery is a contract breach if a customer has already paid for delivery to arrive by a set date or time, which means the customer will have the right to terminate the purchase and obtain a full refund.
Still, with just a week left to Christmas, this situation may be enough to send holiday shoppers relying on Amazon Prime into a panic.
And as it turns out, delays are not restricted to the UK. Customers are taking to Twitter to voice their displeasure with late deliveries from Amazon Prime in the US, too.
CNET has reached out to Amazon UK for a comment.
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