Tired of pop-ups asking you to buy headphones for your dog, goldfish -walkers or glow-in-the-dark ice cube trays? Ever encountered the not-so-subtle huge button to sign-up, next to the miniscule hyper-link that allows you to opt out of selling your soul? Well, spare a thought for June Benta (36), who has given in to the unrelenting pressure of being asked to sign up for Amazon Prime the umpteenth time.
Explained an executive: ‘Our marketing technique is to keep asking until the customer gives in. Basically, we’ve followed the boyfriend/sex-pest model. Nobody actually wants Amazon Prime, but we keep asking – and as the saying goes, the 1000th time is the charm.’
For June, the final straw was purchasing a budget DVD, when she felt strong-armed into subscribing to next-day delivery, a month’s supply of shoe-umbrellas and a free back-rub from Jeff Bezos. Said June: ‘I cracked. Trial, it said. Free, it said. So why do I feel trapped? Apparently I can now get calorie-free, bottled water delivered straight to my door – ever so slightly quicker.’
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