Amazon customers’ fury over big order change that will ‘ruin surprises’ and expose ‘spicy and impulse’ shopping habits
AMAZON customers have spotted a big change being made to online orders – and they’re not happy.
If you share your account with other people such as your partner or children, there is currently an option to archive your order history.
The feature means you can ‘hide’ purchases you don’t want others on the account to see.
Amazon users say they use this option so that any gift purchases can remain a surprise, or to avoid alerting family members to any “spicy” or impulse purchases.
But customers have now spotted the feature is being discontinued next week.
If you try to archive an order in your order history now, you will see a message saying: “Starting 30 April 2025, you will no longer be able to archive orders.
“You can use Amazon Family to link accounts if multiple family members would like to maintain separate order histories.”
Social media users on Reddit were outraged by the change, with one saying: “I use this feature all the time to buy my wife various gifts throughout the year (birthday, christmas, valentines, etc) this has been super useful to not ruin surprises.”
Another person replied: “I do too but for my mother since we share the same account.
“There’s no way she would have let me buy a iPad pro for her this past Christmas if I didn’t hide it.”
Others had different, perhaps less wholesome, reasons for wanting to keep the feature.
“I bought a “spicy” toy from Amazon over a decade ago and archived it because my kids use my account. This is a travesty.” one user wrote.
Another said: “No more hiding my impulse purchases.”
The Sun has contacted Amazon for comment.
Amazon has previously promoted the feature on its X account to customers wanting to hide their purchase history.
One social media user had written: “I was about to buy this leather paddle on Amazon until I remember my mom used my account.”
The online shopping giant then replied: “We understand your concern. You can archive orders that you’re no longer interested in referencing, or to stop the order from showing in the default order history view… Hope this helps.”
It gave a similar response to a customer who had said: “@AmazonHelp can’t believe I have to say this, but not being able to turn off “where’s my stuff” is a big deal for Christmas. Already ruined a surprise, will need to buy elsewhere. ‘Tis the season.”
What do the experts say?
Scott Dixon, a consumer champion who runs The Complaints Resolver, said scrapping the feature is a “step backwards for consumer privacy and choice”.
“Whether it’s buying sensitive items or buying surprise gifts, this feature served a clear purpose. Quietly removing it without warning or explanation is unacceptable, and Amazon ought to listen to its customers and reinstate this feature immediately,” he said.
Other experts believe the change could lead to families having to get individual Amazon Prime subscriptions – meaning they’re paying more.
Michelle Nguyen, product owner and marketing manager at UpPromote, said: “Many households get the most out of Amazon by letting family members share a single Prime membership (£95 per year).
“Because of concerns about privacy, these households may have to pay more if more than one person wants Prime benefits.
“Amazon does have Amazon Household, which lets two adults share some Prime benefits, but older children or extended family members who used to be able to access the shared account might not be able to do so now.
“For consumers, this change basically makes privacy more expensive, forcing them to pick between convenience, saving money, and keeping their personal purchase privacy.”
Simon Wharton, founder of ecommerce agency PushON, said the decision was likely aimed at encouraging more individual Prime accounts.
However he warned it could lead to some shoppers turning away from Amazon.
“It’s a reminder that convenience isn’t just about fast delivery, it’s also about thoughtful digital experiences,” he said.
“If Amazon doesn’t provide a new solution, customers may begin looking elsewhere for that balance.”
HOW MUCH DOES AMAZON PRIME COST?
Here's what you need to know about Amazon Prime pricing in the UK...
A standard Amazon Prime membership costs £8.99 a month – that’s £107.88 over the course of a year.
If you pay annually, you’ll be billed £95 instead.
For TV fans who just want Amazon Prime Video without a full Prime membership, it’ll cost you £5.99 a month, working out at £71.88 for the year.
Students can get discounted Amazon Prime, with the monthly cost reduced to £4.49 (or £53.88 over the course of a year).
And for students who pay annually, the one-off yearly fee is £47.49.
Picture Credit: Amazon
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