Every service and application that we use today can resort to various tricks in order not to lose us. When these cunnings are too obvious and exaggerated, there are methods called ‘dark models’, which are almost fraudulent, while some are implemented in a light but useful way with only adjustments to the user interface.
It turns out that one of them is also implemented by the e-commerce giant Amazon. Documents shared by Insider revealed Amazon’s project called ‘Iliad’. This project included methods to discourage users who want to cancel their Amazon Prime subscription.
Amazon blocked 14% of its users with its cunning tactic:
A user who wanted to cancel his Amazon Prime membership within the scope of the project, asked multiple questions and meets the offer. Although this application, which is in effect today, is not that challenging on paper, it has indeed managed to offer positive results for Amazon. It has been reported that Amazon made 14% of its users who want to cancel their membership give up thanks to this application.
Today, when you want to cancel your Amazon Prime membership, the privileges offered by Prime are listed. Under these privileges, there is the option to remind 3 days before the renewal of the membership, the option to continue the membership and the option to cancel. In other words, after the user clicks on the page to cancel, 3 options are offered, and 2 of them allow the membership to be continued for a while.
Clicking the button for the continuation of the cancellation process opens a new page. Amazon is showing again the three options on this page that were also visible on the previous page. Here, the process is completed with the selection of the cancel option. However, until the process is completed, the user is shown the same options twice, in a different design and on the page. The re-presentation of options inevitably prompts users to rethink.
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