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PSA: Amazon Subscribe & Save - check your order history closely, Amazon may be overcharging you for certain SD purchases. Edited to add: FIRST S&S purchase can get changed. First!!

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Edited to add very important detail: This is about THE VERY FIRST S&S ORDER. It is understood that subsequent S&S order prices may change but most SD veterans believe their first order is guaranteed at the price you signed up for S&S with. This is not the case as per Amazon.


tl:dr version:
You see a widget for $9 on Amazon Nov 24th.
Place S&S order for $9 on Amazon Nov 24th.
Amazon cancels $9 S&S item BEFORE YOU EVER GET A SINGLE WIDGET on Dec 11th.
Amazon re-enters the widget for you a week or two later for $18.
You receive your VERY FIRST WIDGET for $18.
You NEVER GOT your widget for $9. SHADY.

Comments below: Future S&S shipments are never guaranteed!
Replies below: Yeah we KNOW, this is about the VERY FIRST ORDER which is supposed to be guaranteed!!
Just a PSA. Check your cancelled orders. This is fishy and usually only about a few bucks but wth are they thinking...

I learned something pretty irritating today and thought I'd share with the SD commnity.

Why you should care: Your VERY FIRST S&S 'deal' may be deleted without notice and reinstated at a higher price without notice. Edited to add: This is the VERY FIRST shipment that you expect to get at the low price you INITIALLY added the S&S item.

Why SD should care: Original orders made via SD click-thru are cancelled, and recreated via Amazon backend systems without referrer information.
Mod Note: Just to clarify - this is not a Slickdeals link-related issue. It can even possibly affect S&S orders placed simply visiting Amazon.com directly. We merely host/provide details about S&S deals on SD, but don't have any direct bearing over how Amazon processes customer orders. ~RevOne
OP Note: Thanks - SD has nothing to do with this, it's strictly an Amazon issue. It hurts the SD community/users and it hurts SD the site as legitimately earned commissions are getting wiped out by Amazon.

On 11/24 I ordered this S&S slickdeal on cat treats for $7.57+T:
https://slickdeals.net/f/12346951

Quote :
Email confirmation:
Total Before Tax: $7.57
Estimated Tax: $0.66
Gift Card: -$0.00
Order Total: $8.23
On 12/2 I ordered this S&S slickdeal on cat food for $10.97+T:
https://slickdeals.net/f/12390508

Quote :
Email confirmation:
Total Before Tax: $10.97
Estimated Tax: $0.96
Gift Card: -$0.00
Order Total: $11.93
These were the only 2 items that were set to be delivered via S&S on 12/18/18.

Quote :
Hi Arcanlaw,
Thank you for setting up a new auto-delivery with Subscribe & Save.

SHIP TO 1234 MY ADDRESS
SUBSCRIPTION Purina One Tender Selects Blend With Rea...
AUTO-DELIVERED Every 6 months
FIRST AUTO-DELIVERY BY Tuesday, December 18


SUBSCRIPTION Temptations Cat Treats, Savory Salmon Fl...
AUTO-DELIVERED Every 6 months
FIRST AUTO-DELIVERY BY Tuesday, December 18
Never thought anything of this order - obviously a low-priority "whenever I get them is fine" kind of thing, just ordered due to SD effect (I do have a cat mind you).

Edited to add: I never got the 12/18 shipment. Never noticed because it's Christmas season and I have a dozen other boxes arriving daily and didn't really remember about random cat food and cat treats, and frankly didn't care, figured they would show up eventually.

I got an email today about my January S&S with 5 items on the way and thought, "weird, I remember adding a couple more S&S items but 5 seems like a lot" so I check my Amazon account, order history, and see two items added to my order history on 12/25/18. I'm like, wth - Christmas day I was running between family homes opening gifts and drinking egg-nog, what's with these two orders? They were:

Quote :
Purina One Tender Selects Blend With Rea $19.94+T - S&S Discount
Temptations Cat Treats, Savory Salmon Fl $14.98+T - S&S Discount
Those two items were re-ordered at twice the price, without ever sending me a single email!! I searched my gmail for Purina and only see the original S&S order confirmation and same with Temptations.

I tried Amazon Chat to figure out what happened:

Quote :
Me: Something is wrong with order 113-xxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx - I never cancelled but it shows as cancelled, then someone added the item at twice the price on 12/25. This is fraudulent activity.
You are now connected to Senthil from Amazon.com
Senthil: Hello, my name is Senthil. I'm here to help you today.
Hi John
Me: Hi
Senthil: I understand your concern, I'll surely help you.
Me: I was reviewing my S&S items and I see something that is very strange.
On 12/2/2018 I submitted an order for this item "Purina One Tender Selects" ... it is cat food.
I see in my email:
Total Before Tax:
Estimated Tax:
Gift Card:
Order Total:
$10.97
$0.96
-$0.00
$11.93
total after tax $11.93
Today I looked under "Orders" and I see an order placed on 12/25/18 for that item, total of $19.52
This is strange because 12/25 is Christmas day - I was at a family party all day, never spent a minute on Amazon
Senthil: Let me connect you to a member of the team that will best be able to help you with this. It will only take a moment.
A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.
You are now connected to Vishal from Amazon.com
Vishal: Hello, my name is Vishal. Please give me a moment to review the previous correspondence.
Me: Thanks
Vishal: You are welcome.
Please allow me a moment to connect you with right team.
A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.
You are now connected to PAOLA KARINA from Amazon.com
A Customer Service Associate will be with you in a moment.
You are now connected to Raiyan from Amazon.com
Raiyan: Hello, my name is Raiyan. Please give me a moment to review the previous correspondence.
Me: ok...
Raiyan: This issue requires additional troubleshooting which is easier and faster over the phone.
If you'd like to give us a call, visit https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer...(See full link) and follow the prompts. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Me: Can someone call me at 555-867-5309
Raiyan: Just a moment pleas
To contact us by phone, visit https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer...(See full link) and follow the prompts. Choosing the Phone option when asked "How would you like to contact us?"
(Here, I called)
I then spent 62 minutes getting transferred from one rep to another before finally escalating to someone that told me the following:

Amazon may, at their discretion, cancel a S&S order(s) if the price is lower than Amazon would like. They may do this at any time and without notification to the customer.

Amazon may then re-enter that S&S item(s) to a customer's account at the then-current price. They may do this at any time and without notification to the customer.

Please check your order history, especially S&S orders, and verify the price you are being charged is the price you agreed to pay. The price in your order history should be the same as the price you see in your initial email confirmation from Amazon.

Also keep an eye on your cancelled orders - even orders that are automatically cancelled without notifying you should show up there, so if you see something you didn't personally cancel, start investigating:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/your-ac...=cancelled

Edit: Adding this note from JVGeneration which shows that the cancellation tab may not help you either. Stay vigilant and keep your email confirmations!

Quote from JVGeneration :
Amazon cancelled a S&S order and removed it from my cancelled orders page. They tried to ship it with my S&S at full price. The only proof I had for the lower price was an email confirmation - they had removed all traces of the original order from my account.
Final edit: received apology via email (attached) of the escalated CS rep that I spoke to.
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Last Edited by vasu1 January 2, 2019 at 12:12 PM
UPDATE: While what the OP has described may have possibly actually happened to some people, make sure you are checking the right place on your account before assuming you may have been overcharged.
Check this post here for an example. IF you discover that Amazon has in fact cancelled and changed the price on your first delivery under Order Details/Invoice, THEN you need contact them. Otherwise, make sure you are looking in the right place on your account to see what you're actually going to be charged before possibly mistakenly thinking you may be getting overcharged for your first S&S delivery.
-----------
Subscribe and Save does not guarantee prices.

You are always billed at the then current price when the month renews.


The OP is talking about the VERY FIRST ORDER which you THINK is guaranteed. It is NOT guaranteed.

Can OP describe where he saw the price of the new order? Does order history only show the new price and is there always a trail for cancelled order under ""Cancelled" tab?
-----------

It seems OP's two *first* S&S orders were not delivered/removed by Amazon; correct me if I am wrong.

This seems like outright deception/fraud (even though fine print probably says they can change price anytime). When you order first time at a given price, that should be the price you get atleast for first order. If it goes on news, I am sure Amazon will quickly 'find the mistake' in their order processing system and fix it.

----------

i CAN also CONFIRM that amazon pull a fast one one me bunch of times.
at least in my experience. i have noticed as early as in 2017 that i have not been getting the "coupons" or the % offs on even my first s&s delivery. When i chatted with the CS they asked me for proof as in the copy of initial order confirmation email. since then: i am saving all those emails in a special folder.

regardless of this revelation,/ OP post just want to ADD this additional INFO from MY EXPERIENCE that subsequent deliveries or EVEN THE FIRST DELIVERY IF "YOU" CHANGE THE DELIVERY DATE OR POSTPONE THE DELIVERY TO NEXT MONTH, that ORDER will may be may be charged at CURRENT PRICE with no discounts.

Note: OP had said multiple times that the delivery date was not changed, and nothing was ever postponed.
-----------

There is a similar issue that I have encountered at least eleven times in the past four months (starting in September 2018) as a way for Amazon to avoid delivering deeply discounted Subscribe & Save items:
Package damaged and will not be delivered / It can't be delivered / Undeliverable : Damaged / Lost in transit

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Joined May 2006
Chief Bottle Washer
> bubble2 3,008 Posts
1,076 Reputation
abstractj
12-31-2018 at 07:13 AM.
12-31-2018 at 07:13 AM.
Amazon has changed or replaced my S&S items a few times in the past. I recall you can update in the Profile or Subscription section to opt out Amazon replacing your subscription with similar items if the item is out of stock. I can't seems to find that option now.

I always check my invoices for S&S items due to previous lessons. I also always cancel any first S&S after the delivery, as prices always doubles after the first delivery.

Amazon is very good and prompt about refunding me the difference, but I have concerns the way CS are doing these refunds. They would pick an item that I've ordered in the past with same price, and simply refund me that item that is the same item in question. My concern is that at some point These refunds that are my doings will impact my Prime membership.
Reply
Joined Jul 2016
New User
> bubble2 2,349 Posts
617 Reputation
HermanMunchther
12-31-2018 at 07:15 AM.
12-31-2018 at 07:15 AM.
Quote from RiotAct41 :
What I want to know is, why the hell would Amazon need to do this in the first place? Are they in dire financial straits or something?

Yea it's funny many other large retailers can agree to x amount of Product at A fixed price
From the distributor but for some reason amazon can't? I mean even QVC can give you the same price for a year on their auto delivery stuff. So it seems more like just a shady thing they do to hope people don't notice they got charged more later.
Reply
Joined Sep 2017
L5: Journeyman
> bubble2 938 Posts
79 Reputation
C.G
12-31-2018 at 07:15 AM.
12-31-2018 at 07:15 AM.
Wow.. Thats a shocker... How do I check only the s&s history to verify if they have done this to me?
Reply
Joined Sep 2015
New User
> bubble2 3 Posts
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brnin8r
12-31-2018 at 07:37 AM.
12-31-2018 at 07:37 AM.
Quote from antechnet :
This is criminality. Simple theft.

It seems there should be some type of attorney general or legal process of a class action suit looking into this fraud. It's happened to me as well. It's very deceitful and we can all tell it's "wrong" even with any fine print. If you place an order with the price they should not be allowed to change it without a new confirmation. Imagine a brick and mortar rerunning your card for a higher price after you walk out of the store to buy something ahead of time.

People should be furious with this practice, and not become complacent the new subscribe and "save" model. It would also seem to be false advertising if you really don't "save", it's "subscribe and whatever price we decide to charge".
Reply
Joined Jan 2010
L3: Novice
> bubble2 190 Posts
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PhiSig
12-31-2018 at 08:00 AM.
12-31-2018 at 08:00 AM.
I check every subscribe and save order right before it ships. Amazon will send an email showing it's about to ship and the email will show the current full price, but when I verify the order under my account it will show the actual price I was charged after coupons etc. Only issue I have had is that Amazon will cancel some orders that I guess they thought were priced too low? An example was I ordered a 2 pack of face wash for $5.70 vis subscribe and save and several weeks later I received an email that stated my order was canceled due to being out of stock. Yet, when I checked the website it was in stock and priced at $12.89 via subscribe and save.
Reply
Last edited by PhiSig December 31, 2018 at 08:02 AM.
Joined Jun 2016
L6: Expert
> bubble2 1,013 Posts
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Juganhut
12-31-2018 at 08:01 AM.
12-31-2018 at 08:01 AM.
I thought it was common knowledge that prices were not locked in. And sorry, I feel no remorse for Slickdeals not getting commission when they don't allow us to post about savings/apps that actually provide a share of commissions, making many deals sweater.
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Joined Mar 2007
It's almost like having a
> bubble2 1,949 Posts
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contaction
12-31-2018 at 08:51 AM.
12-31-2018 at 08:51 AM.
I mentioned this here a couple years ago and people called me a liar and a fool (maybe not those words)
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Joined Aug 2011
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> bubble2 2,019 Posts
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cr8ter
12-31-2018 at 09:00 AM.
12-31-2018 at 09:00 AM.
Never had this happen to me. I've been doing S&S for over 15 years and check every order against the price I S&S at.

I suspect OP did something else to their order causing the change in price. It's very simple to check orders, cancelled orders and the price of your subscribe and save price under orders on Amazon.
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Joined Dec 2014
L7: Teacher
> bubble2 2,812 Posts
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remainders
12-31-2018 at 09:34 AM.
12-31-2018 at 09:34 AM.
I was overcharged even before my first order shipped for items: Orgain plant protein, $21; Stacy's, $12.49; Cheez-it, $8.24
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Joined Oct 2016
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> bubble2 1,135 Posts
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KaiyoJinn
12-31-2018 at 09:40 AM.
12-31-2018 at 09:40 AM.
Quote from remainders :
I was overcharged even before my first order shipped for items: Orgain plant protein, $21; Stacy's, $12.49; Cheez-it, $8.24
Hey, I hope this helps you (and others) out. I sincerely hope it isn't that some of the people that have said what the OP described happened to them haven't been looking at that S&S page and thinking they were being overcharged this entire time.

That page never shows what you agreed to pay. Where you need to look is under Orders on your account. Look for the S&S item individually under Orders and click either "Order Details" or "Invoice". Only those pages will show what you will pay / be charged.

IF the Order Details/Invoice for that item doesn't match the price you set up your first delivery for (presumably at a discount with some coupon deal or something), THEN you have a problem. Otherwise, it should show the price you agreed to under Order Details/Invoice, not on that S&S list you have in the screenshot. Post back and let us know if the prices are lower in your Order Details/Invoice pages for those S&S items you're showing there.
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Joined Dec 2009
L6: Expert
> bubble2 1,967 Posts
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annual
12-31-2018 at 09:45 AM.
12-31-2018 at 09:45 AM.
Just to add to this mess, if you 'skip' an item you bought for your monthly delivery Amazon will cancel your original order and place a new one at the higher price and no coupons. You can verify by trying to click the original email taking you to the order page and see the price you initially placed it at.
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Joined Dec 2014
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> bubble2 2,812 Posts
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remainders
12-31-2018 at 09:47 AM.
12-31-2018 at 09:47 AM.
Quote from KaiyoJinn :
Hey, I hope this helps you (and others) out. I sincerely hope it isn't that some of the people that have said what the OP described happened to them haven't been looking at that S&S page and thinking they were being overcharged this entire time.

That page never shows what you agreed to pay. Where you need to look is under Orders on your account. Look for the S&S item individually under Orders and click either "Order Details" or "Invoice". Only those pages will show what you will pay / be charged.

IF the Order Details/Invoice for that item doesn't match the price you set up your first delivery for (presumably at a discount with some coupon deal or something), THEN you have a problem. Otherwise, it should show the price you agreed to under Order Details/Invoice, not on that S&S list you have in the screenshot. Post back and let us know if the prices are lower in your Order Details/Invoice pages for those S&S items you're showing there.
Thanks.

The prices are lower in the invoices/order details than what is on the S&S.

Will my S&S prices be increased to regular prices in later subscriptions?
Reply
Joined Feb 2009
L10: Grand Master
> bubble2 10,957 Posts
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just123me
12-31-2018 at 09:48 AM.
12-31-2018 at 09:48 AM.
Quote from jessefpotter :
I only sign up for a discount off the first order that ships immediately and then cancel.
The FIRST order is where the shady activity is happening.
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Joined Oct 2016
L6: Expert
> bubble2 1,135 Posts
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KaiyoJinn
12-31-2018 at 09:57 AM.
12-31-2018 at 09:57 AM.
Quote from remainders :
Thanks.

The prices are lower in the invoices/order details than what is on the S&S.

Will my S&S prices be increased to regular prices in later subscriptions?
Cool Smilie Glad it helped. Bet you must of been ticked off and sweating it out there for a second laugh out loud Good to see you really aren't going to be overcharged after all (not to say it may not have possibly happened to anyone else ever before).

Yeah, say you place an S&S at one price (like this deal), you'll get your first delivery in that subscription for the discounted price (so there, you'd pay $13.10 plus tax for the 1st delivery).

All deliveries after that will be charged at whatever the price is at the time. So if the price is $24.99 when it's time for your 2nd delivery, you'll get charged that. If the price is $19.99 by the time of your 3rd delivery, you're charged that price; and so on. That's the way S&S has always and is supposed to work.

It's why many of us don't keep the subscription active past the first discounted shipment and cancel once it's delivered.
Reply
Last edited by KaiyoJinn December 31, 2018 at 10:01 AM.

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Joined Dec 2014
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> bubble2 2,812 Posts
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remainders
12-31-2018 at 10:03 AM.
12-31-2018 at 10:03 AM.
Quote from KaiyoJinn :
Cool Smilie Glad it helped. Bet you must of been ticked off and sweating it out there for a second laugh out loud Good to see you really aren't going to be overcharged after all (not to say it may not have possibly happened to anyone else ever before).

Yeah, say you place an S&S at one price (like this deal), you'll get your first delivery in that subscription for the discounted price (so there, you'd pay $13.10 plus tax for the 1st delivery).

All deliveries after that will be charged at whatever the price is at the time. So if the price is $24.99 when it's time for your 2nd delivery, you'll get charged that. If the price is $19.99 by the time of your 3rd delivery, you're charged that price; and so on. That's the way S&S has always and is supposed to work.

It's why many of us don't keep the subscription active past the first discounted shipment and cancel once it's delivered.
Thank you!
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