Amazon makes it easier to send people gifts over Black Friday, for better or worse
A novel idea with some huge drawbacks
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AsBlack Friday 2021approaches, there’s no doubt millions of consumers looking to huge retailers likeAmazonto score massive savings on big-name brands. As it turns out, Amazon has a new feature ready forAmazon Primemembers that could make it easier than ever to buy gifts for others – for better or worse.
As reported byThe Verge, this new Amazon Prime feature will allow service subscribers to send products to others using only their phone number or email address – no mailing address is required.
The gift recipient will then receive a notification about the product, and can choose to accept, decline, or receive an equivalently priced Amazon gift card instead. The gift giver is only charged once the recipient has accepted.
Currently, the feature is rolling out to Amazon Prime subscribers in the US. There’s no word on it coming to other territories yet, but if the feature becomes popular we could see Amazon try to replicate it elsewhere.
When asked by The Verge if users could opt out of the feature, an Amazon spokesperson said they couldn’t – adding that gift recipients could simply ignore the message, which will automatically cancel after a few days.
Analysis: we’re seeing red flags
It’s undeniable that this new gifting option for Prime members will make it easier for them to send presents over the holiday period, it’s important to note the drawbacks.
If, for example, you wanted to buy a gift for a friend or colleague, they might feel more comfortable sharing an email address than their home address, especially if you don’t know them incredibly well. Examples like these are where this new Amazon Prime gifting option could work very well.
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On the other hand, it’s easy to see how this system can be abused by people with less than pure intentions. If all you need is an email address or phone number, it’s possible that a recipient could be inundated with a swathe of unwanted gift messages. And while, yes, these messages can be ignored, the recipient will be notified regardless.
It’s baffling to see that Amazon isn’t offering the choice to opt out of this service given the potential privacy concerns it could cause – and we wouldn’t be surprised if Amazon decides to make changes to this gifting option ahead of Black Friday to prevent potential harassers from abusing the system.
Rhys is TRG’s Hardware Editor, and has been part of the TechRadar team for more than two years. Particularly passionate about high-quality third-party controllers and headsets, as well as the latest and greatest in fight sticks and VR, Rhys strives to provide easy-to-read, informative coverage on gaming hardware of all kinds. As for the games themselves, Rhys is especially keen on fighting and racing games, as well as soulslikes and RPGs.
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