Out the Box

NOW THAT'S A GOOD IDEA

No address? No problem

Amazon has launched a new feature that allows Prime members to instantly send gifts from their mobile devices, simply by providing the recipient’s email or mobile phone number.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Prime members can browse millions of products available to gift on the Amazon Shopping app, and once they find the right gift and add it to their basket, they select ‘Add a gift receipt for easy returns’ and proceed to check out.

In addition, Prime members will now see a new option to ‘Let the recipient provide their address’. They can then enter the recipient’s email or mobile number. The recipient receives a gift message—by email or text—that allows them to accept the gift, and then enter their preferred delivery address from their Amazon account.

Recipients also have the option of exchanging the item for an Amazon gift card which they can then use to purchase something else—without having to notify the gift giver.

WILL IT BE COMING TO THE UK?

The new feature will start to roll out to all Prime members in the US shopping from their mobile device beginning 4 October. Amazon has not disclosed whether the service will be launched internationally, but usually where the US goes the UK eventually follows.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?

ParcelHero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks, said: “It’s a surprisingly simple idea, and one we can see Amazon.co.uk and other British online retailers adopting quickly as well. With just a little tweaking, it’s a development that should be an option for UK retailers such as Argos and ASOS. Argos could even offer a “pickup your present” in-store option,

“These days our address book is likely to be sat alongside our dusty cheque book far at the back of a little used draw. Yet we have people’s mobile numbers with us constantly in our mobile phones.”

Jinks added: “One word of caution, though. We are all familiar with those existing scam texts that claim you have a parcel waiting, but you need to pay a clearance fee. If new ‘address-less’ sales catch on, we will all have to be on our guard for ‘phishing’ messages inviting us to send details such as our address, and in particular, bank account numbers to top-up gift cards, etc.”

American technology blog The Verge wasn’t keen on the idea. It said: “This sounds like a bad idea that is ripe for abuse by scammers, stalkers, and those who take pleasure in the online harassment of others.”

In response, Amazon has stressed that gifts are only sent when recipients accept them and that they can expire or be deleted at any time. The company said any activity that violates its guidelines - which includes sending unwanted gifts - would be reviewed and the account acted on.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

You can find out more about the service here