Are YOU Being Overcharged for Your Amazon Subscribe & Save Orders?
Time to check your accounts!
If you’ve ever placed an Amazon Subscribe & Save order only to have it canceled, Amazon could be overcharging you. If so, you may want to check your account statements.
Some purchasers have noticed that their first subscriptions are being canceled from the low price the items were when they initially subscribed and then recharged at a higher, current, price. 😬
Also, several Hip2Save readers have noticed that the prices of their subscriptions are higher than the price they thought they were getting on the day of purchase. While Amazon does state the following in regards to Subscribe & Save purchases, many readers are not happy with these price changes:
“In advance of each delivery, we will send you a reminder email showing the item price and any applicable discount for your upcoming delivery. The price of the item may decrease or increase from delivery to delivery, depending on the Amazon.com price of the item at the time we process your order.”
This means that if the time has changed from when you placed your order to the time your order is processed (which could be days to weeks later), the price that you are charged may change as well.
Whether you’ve had a subscription cancelled and re-charged at a higher price OR been charged more for a subscription than what you originally thought, it’s definitely frustrating for consumers.
In fact, here’s what a couple Hip2Save readers have said:
“Have any other Subscribe and Save shoppers had delivery problems with items transported via Amazon Logistics? I used to love buying monthly staples through Subscribe & Save, but in the past three months items have not arrived on the due date, have been postponed for two or three times, and then I had the hassle of trying to inquire online as to where my stuff was. It took 2 online chats, three phone calls, and an email to sort out three missing items on the September delivery. (I really think being a Prime member helped here). They were “disappearing” somewhere between the local transportation center and being placed on an Amazon Logistics vehicle. Having searched online, I see this is a nationwide problem. Time for Amazon to step up.” – Mrs. Y
“The price can go up, and they are supposed to email a few days before with the details of the delivery (including price), BUT the price charged is whatever it is on the site at the time the order goes through. I have had them change and go up 20-50% from the price I first ordered. I thought the price was locked in but learned that the hard way. Also, I did not get the emails at times and got surprised by some, then I could not cancel, etc. So, what I do is do the Subscribe & Save for the coupon on the first order and then just cancel. I do NOT like having the price changing on a minute to minute basis.” – Erin
This happened to me with the babyganics deals only to be told they don’t have to honor the price. Their solution was for me to send items back for a refund. This was not a solution. I will not be doing subscribe and save. I was charged double what I agreed to.
I also had issues with this with the babyganics deal a month or two ago. It was really frustrating and I canceled most of my orders. I hate having to check it daily to see what I’m being charged.
I was thinking the same thing today about these babyorganics deals. I need to go back and check.
going to keep an eye on my babyganics S&S that is coming this week. thanks for the heads up
I had an issue with the deals too. Prices increased on everything ordered. I ended up canceling everything and now watch it since they increase the price on the first order without telling you.
This happened to me, too. Fortunately, after 45 minutes on the phone with someone who was unable to help me, I got connected with a customer service lady named Angela who was quick and capable, and she issued back to my credit card the differences between what I was charged and the amounts shown on my original orders/emails.
They did this to me on the babyganics deal. I called and complained and they gave me the money back as Amazon gift card/credit balance. I am now very wary if these subscribe and save deals. I don’t want my card being charged more than I thought I was going to be charged.
Yes, I’ve definitely experienced this price increase. Especially when I’ve ordered an item after seeing a great deal posted on Hip2Save, only to realize too late that what I thought was going to be a great deal ended up being a bigger expense- often on an item I wasn’t going to otherwise purchase. I’ve realized recently how important it is to read through the prices listed on the email they send out just prior to delivery so that I can cancel if the price has shot up.
I have seen prices increase. I watch them like a hawk and call and complain if it goes up and they always adjust. I work a lot and so I get like 20-30 packages per month from subscribe & save (always cheaper than anywhere).
Unfortunately, I have had nothing but issues with Subscribe and Save in the last year. I have had numerous items arrive damaged along with incorrect charges. I spent such a ridiculous amount of time on the phone sorting things out that we no longer use S&S. We have a family of 8 and it was supposed to be a convenience. It was not.
I am no longer in love with subscribe and save. Especially how they package things. I have had 15 pound bags of cat food shoved in the same box as potato chips and laundry detergent that leaked all over food. It seems that they are really going downhill. I like the good deals and convenience but there are times where I think I am going to shop more local stores and stock up during sales.
Same problem here, they send my 25lb dog food in the same box as crackers and cookies which are then crushed
Same here, 30lb bag of dog food in the same box as chips and breakables. They have been good about resending the item or refunding it but could be avoided
Even if the price on the order summary page shows the lower price, they can charge a higher price? That’s really sneaky and deceptive.
Wait. So the price for the first delivery has been going up too? Also, I have noticed that their emails don’t show all of the discounts usually.
Yep, it’s on the first delivery, I just checked my order history and payed more for several items.
I s&s Culturelle every month & yes the price fluctuates but in the past 2 years it’s still always cheaper than at Walmart.
Interesting. I subscribe to at least 5 items per month and have never had this happen. The low price I subscribe at is always honored for the 1st delivery and I’ve had no issues cancelling for subsequent deliveries. The prices I get in my confirmation email have always been billed correctly, too.
I agree. I have never had the price go up on the first order. However, I don’t trust the email because it doesn’t include coupon or % off discounts. After the email comes, I always go back to my invoices and double check. But I have never had them go up
I agree too. The last couple times H2S has posted about this I have panicked and wondered if I was over charged and have have been. I have been charged the original price.
Have had this problem & went as high as letter to CEO on this. Was told (in 2017) that Amazon will always honor price for first shipment but then price can fluctuate after first delivery. Not certain if this policy has changed. Packaging on S&S has been terrible & delivery date inconsistent. Disappointed too!
You are not really at the ceo office. Unfortunately, I thought the same. All you are talking to is amazons direct american customer service support team which I was told by one that if you call amazons 1800 number and get the 3rd party rep you can request to be switched to a local American representative. They have to switch you over. I have used the Jeff Bezos email in the past and they were phenomenal, but they too have gotten horrible this past year along with the rest of the company. I keep telling them that the 3rd party company is able to see things on my account that I can not see and that the American representatives can not see. For example, my sisters address is listed as my place of residence when I call in. But when I log in to my account her address is no where to be seen. Her address shouldn’t be listed at all. Another example, my sister in law who lives in Hawaii had a duffle bag charged to her cc and shipped to my home. She never added the bag and she never listed my address in her account. Never even sent me anything from Amazon. It was like pulling teeth to get them to refund her and they never could figure out how it happened. Several months later I inquire about a book and they proceed to tell me no they do not price match and they would be happy to cancel the duffle bag off my account. The same one charged to my sister in law. I was floored because I was inquiring about something totally different. I immediately log into my account and that duffle bag is no where to be seen in my account. The American team can not see it and they keep telling me to change my password. I feel like it is this 3rd party company scamming customers. The countless random packages showing up at peoples door steps and Amazon has no idea why….the american representatives can’t see it and customers can’t see it, but the 3rd party companies can.
I have been a prime member for 5 years and have used subscribe and save since they started offering it. I have taken advantage of hundreds of deals from hip2sace and have never had the deal on the first delivery changed. I always cancel after the first delivery because I know that prices will be higher for the next delivery. I think it would be worth a call to Amazon to see if it is their policy to increase the price of the first delivery of subscribe and save. I don’t think it is.
Thank you for the heads up to check prices before delivery. I did not know this was happening on first time deliveries. I always cancel my subscribe and save orders after I receive them as I thought if you did this you didn’t need to worry about a price changing before delivery. I checked my invoices and all were correct this time. I will be checking prices on the email sent out before delivery to make sure from now on.
You’re welcome, Sherrie! SO glad to help!
I’ve only had happen once and all I did was chat with them and send a copy of the email with the price and it was honored no problem. I do a lot of S&S because I live in rural area.
What if you subscribe with a coupon for the first delivery and then change it to the following month? Is the discounted price still honored or only for the original date you first subscribed to the item?
In my experience if you change your first initial order to the next month you lose the extra coupon and get charged the current price. To get around this I just change my delivery day, even if I change the delivery date and it goes into the next month, my coupons stay put. Don’t click “Skip January’s Delivery” because you’ll lose your coupons and the price will change to the current price. Go to the Subscribe and Save page, click menu in the top right hand corner and then “Change Delivery Day” then you can move your day into February or March or whatever and not lose that first price. Hope that made sense.
I quit doing subscribe and save. Not only did I have this problem, they were also shipping everything in one box resulting in damaged items. It grew quite frustrating.
I hadn’t had any problems until December’s delivery with the babyganics diapers and wipes. They changed the invoice upon shipping. Thankfully I had printed them out with the correct price so I could prove it to them (even though it took two hours to get them to understand it and finally just had to ask for a manager!) I don’t think the invoice should ever change from when you place the order! It just makes it so we can’t trust them!
I ordered the canned cat food this way and the first two shipments were fine. On the third shipment it was sent in August and when I opened it there were maggots all over the cans. I promptly put it in the outside garbage and then tried to get refund. They kept telling me that I was supposed to return the item. Their suggested recourse was unsafe and not sanitary. I cancelled any further orders on this. I do use some other items but I watch the prices so I can cancel my order if the price increases.
I have so many items on s&s that I can’t tell which charge in my credit card statement is from which item. So I probably have been getting over charged. Ugh. I don’t have time to track this. I’m done with S&S.
I totally agree. I can hardly ever reconcile my Amazon charges on my credit card statement bc of the way Amazon breaks up the charges on individual orders. This just seals it for me..I’m done with S&S. Ain’t nobody got time for more Amazon billing games.
I use subscribe and save for a ton of items, especially on all the great deals that the H2S team posts each month. I do not ever have any issues with the price of the first order. The first order usually has a coupon that may not be available on the next order, so I always select for them to send it every six months, then I cancel items each month that I do not need or do not want to pay the higher price for. If in doubt, take a screenshot or print out the final cost of an item that you are subscribing to, and verify the amount at the end of the month after you’ve received the item and been billed. If it’s not what you expected, I would definitely contact customer service with the details. After the first order, the price may change and the coupons may not be available, so that is why I cancel the items for future shipments. H2S team usually posts if that item is discounted again, or if another great coupon is available for that item, and if it’s something I need, I subscribe again using the new coupon and getting the discounted price. I love subscribe and save and will definitely continue to use it!
Thanks Hip2Save! ❤️
You’re welcome, Sharon! Thanks for taking a moment to share your experience with us!
I cancelled all of mine. I don’t have time to check the prices every order – it kind of defeats the purpose of subscribe and save. Plus I found it confusing because it didn’t include coupons. So now when I am running low on an item I used to get on subscribe and save, then I’ll try to find 4 other items to subscribe to for that delivery. Then I cancel them before the next delivery.
I always new subsequent S&S could (and probably would) increase. My order fluctuates monthly, based on H2S deals. Today I checked and three of five NEW S&S I placed this month had increased dramatically. I don’t understand how that is even legal??? (I cancelled everything.)
Oh my gosh–I just checked my S&S items from last month against my credit card statement–every item was correct, except one. I show an invoice of $5.39 for Cheez-its but was charged $9.03. Furious!
I also quit subscribe and save over the summer after a whole fiasco with Amazon. They had a product go out of stock after they had already sent me my pre-delivery email and so they took away my 15% discount since they were only shipping 4 items instead of 5. I had no way of knowing the product would go out of stock and it wasn’t my fault it was out of stick but their customer service reps refused to offer anything to fix the price difference ended up paying. Not having S & S for diaper delivery for my 3rd little one born this fall has been quite an adjustment after 7 years of being an Amazon Mom. I’ve limited our orders altogether and have considering canceling our Prime Membership.
Oh no! I just checked my orders and one increased from $8.60 to $25.81 for 3 All detergent, 31 load bottles!! They sent me an email that said “Price alert: review your monthly delivery” on Nov 25 and I had through Nov 26 to change it. I usually cancel after a really good deal, like this one from April for the detergent (thanks to H2S) but forgot to cancel it! I think it is because it was listed as $8.60 this time around (after 15% discount), but I thought it was for all three bottles. My fault, but a $10.12 price per bottle (before S&S discount) is robbery!!!
I only use subscribe and save for deals, then cancel it because I know that the next shipment price will be whatever the current price is. I’ve never had a problem with the price of the first order.
Same, and the coupon only applies to the first order anyway.
Thank you so much for posting this. I’ve been thinking about doing S&S for months but don’t think I will now. I appreciate everyone’s feedback!
You’re welcome!
My last S&S order came with me owing the postage! I denied the package but I haven’t been reimbursed yet from Amazon. I used to love S&S but loving it less these days.
Wow! That is crazy! I would have denied it too. You may have to contact them again.
This has happened to me on several instances. I don’t shop in subscribe and save that often anymore. It makes a “convenience feature” too much of a hassle.
We haven’t used the s&s but have had quantities automatically doubled during the order process.
I’m sorry this is unrelated but does anyone know of good deals on pizza today? Thanks!!
Yes! Here you go! https://hip2save.com/2018/12/29/two-medium-papa-johns-pizzas-and-cheesesticks-only-12/
Thank you!
Oh man, I had better go back and pay close attention 😦 I was just trusting that the 1st order stayed at what I purchased it at. Thinking of canceling Prime too since my $119 is coming up this month 😖
I’m confused here. Are some people having issues on their first SS shipment? Are the prices fluctuating on the first order? I know the price is never locked in from month to month and coupon savings are only honored one time. I’ve been using SS for years, combined with deals from Hip2Save and I’ve never once encountered a problem. I got my Babyganics deal with no hiccups and promptly cancelled all subsequent orders.
I also managed to snag great SS deals on prime day with no issues including free Honest brand diapers. So sorry some of you are having problems.
Yes Maria, it was on the first order for S&S. I was shocked they changed the price the next day when I checked the invoice. I didn’t think they could do that!
Wondering too, I have user S&S for 100’s of orders and know after the first shipment the price changes (if it was a deal). I will be on the lookout for if a change has happened, hope it didn’t.
I’m pretty over subscribe and save. I almost ALWAYS have to cancel after the first shipment because the price shoots up so much!
I’ve noticed an increase in prices for some items between the time I sign up and they ship. I check the prices religiously on the final review day and delete anything I don’t want to pay that price for. You do have to be vigilant. Amazon doesn’t make it easy to see what the price is and I see that they’ve eliminated the price from the “Your Orders” section which made it easy to see what they were going to charge. I’ve been falling out of love with Amazon for a while now so this is one more reason for me to kick them to the curb.
Are this prices on your invoice increasing? I see the prices increase on my subscribe and save page but my invoice always has the correct price. I’ve never had a problem.
I will say that they are packaging my S&S orders better now because I had to complain multiple times in 2018 about items arriving cracked or spilling onto other things. For me, Target has been the best about packaging things like detergent, etc.
Wow I didn’t even realize bit yes I was charged double from what i originally signed up for.. still a deal but still how are they getting away with this change without letting customers know.? I will not be using this service again
Forget S&S. Instead, try this:
Put the items you buy regularly in your cart, and them move them from your cart to “Save for Later.” Now whenever you’re buying something else, scroll down your list of “Saved for Later” items to check the prices — if you spot a good price, move it from “saved for later” back into your cart. That way you’ll have an easy way to monitor price fluctuations on favorite items — you’ll see the prices fluctuate A LOT if you watch them this way.
Or just set a price alert on them on camelcamelcamel.com
It’s not enough to check invoices? I have to somehow cross reference with my CC statement? What a nightmare! What is the easiest way to compare?
To me it is bait and switch to advertise a price, place your subscribe and save order at that price and have them increase the price and what they charge you before the first delivery. I get it being fair game after the initial order but with the first! It makes me wonder how many times they offer really great deals to get people to sign up for them knowing they will increase the price before they send any out. It should be illegal to do this on the first order. I didn’t renew my prime membership this year, I just wait till I have $25 worth of stuff then get free shipping. Takes a little longer but I am over Amazons games.
I had a similar experience. I had an initial coupon deal on a subscription and that subscription was moved from one month to another due to item availability. At the same time, they cancelled my current deal and rebilled for that days price which meant almost double the price. I didn’t notice until it was shipping. I didn’t get an email until it was shipping. I do a lot of subscription items, so sadly I hadn’t noticed I didn’t get it the month before as it was not a necessity at the time and just a good deal on something that will be used when I ran out of stock. I did contact customer service to request a price adjustment. They refused and said they didn’t have to honor the previous deal. At the time, they said their policy was that they had to match the initial purchase amount on the first shipment but because the shipment day was changed they no longer had to match the initial price. It was a really frustrating time trying to get them to honor their initial price. In the end, the only solution I had was to return the item, which I did. I, also, cancelled all of my subscribe and save items at that time and boycotted them for a while. Eventually I returned with a new thought plan. I log all if my deals in a notebook w date of purchase, deal, and expected due date. I highlight the arrived items in 1 color. Then, usually, at the end of the month comes my review email. If it doesn’t make it, I have a reoccurring task on my phone calendar to check on the 1st of the month my Amazon subscriptions to verify they are accurate. On the 7th I recheck them as they are about to be shipped for the 10th delivery. Sometimes it’s too late to cancel on the 7th, oddly. But I always cancel a subscription after the initial delivery unless it’s something I have a hard time finding in my area (which is only one item: kauai coconut caramel Crunch coffee). I get the initial deal only. It has actually been more budget friendly to do this because then I shop for the best deal instead of getting lazy about some items I regularly use. Amazon is convenient but it’s not always the best place to buy from. Due to Amazon’s poor customer service (and I’ve had many issues I’ve tried to get help on…like delayed delivery on 2 day deliveries) I only use their service for extreme deals. With all the brick and mortars closing…why not get out and support those still around if it’s close in price. Customers service, at least, still exists there.
One other thing to be on the lookout for with subscribe and save: not every item is eligible for the 15% discount after you’ve reached the 5 items. I had a large Subscribe and Save order last month and at least two of the items were only the 5% discount. Just something to keep an eye on. I’d assumed that every Subscribe and Save item was automatically 15% once you reached 5 items, but not so.
Yes and I have really limited my Amazon shopping as a result. My first shipment price was changing constantly and was often late and when I did get it the boxes were terribly packaged and items inside were damaged beyond use. Literally each shipment took about 4-6 hours with customer service to try to work out and finally I gave up. My reminder emails rarely showed a price just a shipment note so until I got it I often didn’t see the first price was wrong and I never got a deal to begin with. I wish it worked better as a system but it’s just not my thing. I’ve switched to Walmart and Target online for many things and they are packaged great and I have never had a price issue
If anyone else ordered the McCormick vanilla deal last month, does it show the price as $34.09 on your subscribe and save page? I’m worried that I’m going to get charged that price versus the $16.94 on my order confirmation. Should I cancel it?
My subscribe and save page always shows the wrong price–not what my invoice shows. And, according to my CC statements, Amazon is billing them for what my invoice says. So, I wouldn’t worry about what the S and S page says.
Mine does the same thing! The S&S page doesn’t show the right price…I have to go to my order details to see it. That’s what I also hate about the emails – it doesn’t show the real price they’re supposed to be charging bc it doesn’t take into account all of the coupons.
It’s just too hard to keep track of. I don’t know if they’ve changed it, but I remember having to click each individual item to see what the price was. Ugh. Who knows… I’m probably being over charged.
I have had this happen also and was told to refuse delivery or pay return shipping to send the items back. I cancelled all of my subscribe and save and do not plan to renew my prime membership in April (after 12 years). I am tired of Amazon problems. The only reason I have kept it was the free fast shipping, but now I see that free shipping is usually 5 days instead of 2.
Not to mention everyone had free shipping for December. Mine is up this month and I’m done with them! Paying more for less services now! Even music now you have to pay more! It should still be included in your prime membership!
I use s&s less and less these days. The prices seem to keep rising with less discounts offered. It ends up not being worth it just for the convenience of home delivery. I’m adding more stuff to my grocery store shopping list lately.
I have been an avid Amazon user since inception when annual membership was just about $40/year. I do not like the fact that I see something I splurge for or need and I have to wait for first delivery. I have had NUMEROUS items change in price from the great deal to buying full price at a local store for full price is cheaper. Target offers a great Subscribe and Save and my prices never fluctuate PLUS I receive my items right away. I am seriously considering dropping my Amazon membership over all the “improving” changes they have made recently. I feel they are trying to be a super power and take on every biz out there. LOL
That’s the entire point of S&S. Amazon gets you with a low initial price and then increases it for subsequent orders. It’s also why you should never reorder items using Alexa. You never know what the price is going to be…although it’s always going to be higher.
This just happened to me! I joined for the very first time in November to get treats for my cats monthly. The first order was supposed to come in December. The price that was shown to me in the “delivery coming soon” email was 50% less than what I was charged with. I immediately cancelled the subscription. Once the treats arrived I went online & started the return process claiming that I found a better price & left a comment saying I wasn’t happy with the subscribe & save program. They refunded my money & told me to keep the product. I am glad to know it wasn’t just me but still it’s ridiculous.