Avoiding accidental purchases

The short version

• Set a 4-digit voice code for Alexa purchases, or turn voice purchasing off.
• On Amazon product pages, "Buy Now" orders at once; "Add to Cart" lets you review first.
• Cancel mistakes in Your Orders before the item ships. On eBay, request a cancellation within one hour.

Alexa voice purchasing

All of these are in the Alexa app: More, then Settings, then the voice purchasing settings (listed under Account Settings or Account Management).

• Voice code: under Purchase Confirmation, turn on a 4-digit code. Alexa then asks for it before any order. Source: Amazon help: Require a voice code.
• Only your voice: under Purchase Controls, choose "Only recognized voices" after setting up an Alexa voice ID, so guests and the TV cannot order.
• Off: under Purchase Controls, choose "No one". You can still ask Alexa about orders and deliveries. Source: Amazon help: Turn voice purchasing on or off.

Say the voice code quietly, or change it if someone may have heard it.

Buy Now, Add to Cart and Subscribe & Save

• Buy Now places the order right away with your saved card and address. Add to Cart takes you through checkout, where you can hear the total first. The two buttons are next to each other, so listen to the button name before activating it.
• Some products offer Subscribe & Save and One-time purchase as two choices above the buttons. Check which one is selected; Subscribe & Save sends the item again on a schedule.
• At checkout, move by headings to the order summary and listen for the items and total before "Place your order".

Cancelling an Amazon order

1. Go to Your Orders, find the order, and choose "View or edit order".
2. Choose "Cancel items", check the items to cancel, pick a reason, and choose "Request cancellation".
3. Amazon emails a confirmation. Keep it until the charge or refund clears.

• Items shipped by Amazon can be cancelled until they enter the shipping process. Orders from other sellers can usually be cancelled within one business day.
• Too late to cancel? Refuse the package if you can, or return it; see returns and refunds.

Source: Amazon help: Cancel items and orders.

Subscriptions and Prime

Subscribe & Save

Go to Your Subscribe & Save Items, choose the Subscriptions tab, choose the item, then "Cancel subscription". To stop the next delivery, do this before the "Last day to update" date shown for it. Source: Amazon help: Cancel Subscribe & Save.

Prime and free trials

• A Prime free trial turns into a paid membership unless you end it. Go to Your Prime Membership and choose to end the membership or the trial.
• If you have not used any Prime benefits since the last charge, Amazon refunds the full fee, usually within 3 to 5 business days. Source: Amazon help: How to cancel Prime.

Everything in one place

Your Account lists "Memberships and subscriptions" (Prime, Kindle Unlimited, Audible, channel add-ons and more). Checking it once a month catches anything you did not mean to keep. Source: Amazon help: Manage subscriptions.

On eBay

• Choosing "Buy It Now" and paying, winning an auction, or having an offer accepted is a promise to buy. Bids cannot simply be taken back.
• Made a mistake? In Purchases, request a cancellation within one hour of buying. The seller decides and has up to 3 days to answer; if the item already shipped, ask for a return instead.
• "Add to cart" on eBay lets you review the total before you pay, the same as on Amazon.

Source: eBay order cancellation policy.