Fri Nov 21 18:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text, summarizing the key information:
Amazon Begins Paying Out $1.5 Billion in Prime Settlement Refunds
[City, State] – Amazon has started issuing payments to eligible Prime members as part of a $1.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The payouts, which began earlier this month and will continue through December, are a result of a 2023 lawsuit where the FTC accused Amazon of deceptive practices related to Prime enrollment and cancellation.
The settlement resolves allegations that Amazon misled customers into signing up for Prime and made it difficult for them to cancel their memberships. While Amazon agreed to the payouts, it neither admitted to nor denied the FTC’s allegations. In a September statement, the company stated that “Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers.”
Eligible Prime members can expect a refund of their subscription fees, up to a maximum of $51. The FTC has outlined specific requirements for eligibility (not specified). According to Amazon spokesman Mark Blafkin eligible customers will receive an email from Amazon between Nov. 12 and Dec. 24 and can get their refunds by PayPal or Venmo. Customers must accept their refund within 15 days. Customers who prefer to receive their payment by check should ignore the email from Amazon. Once they do not claim the PayPal or Venmo payment, Amazon will mail them a check to their default shipping address listed on their Prime subscription. Customers should cash their checks within 60 days.
“If consumers are eligible to submit a claim but were not eligible for automatic payments, they will be notified between December 24th and January 23, 2026,” Blafkin told NBC News.
Prime members who believe they may be eligible should monitor their email accounts for notifications from Amazon.
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