Usually this happens end of quarters, but lately, when there is a huge price drop, Amazon will process Subscribe & Save orders as far as a month early! Even when it says you can cancel if done before the ship date, you get the red notice that item has been shipped, just so happens at the moment of the cancelation attempt. Try to get a rep to cancel, if they do, Amazon retaliates by charging the card regardless and refuses to take the holds off, saying they cant, when in fact they can, and do so monthly when it means they will make more money. Heck, they have even tried shipping subscriptions canceled months prior.
How to avoid this scam, and the holds.
1) Don't do anything on the Amazon site yet. Go to your bank site first!
2) Never use a debit card from a main account. Use debit or credit cards with accounts that have no overdraft, that you have more control by putting funds over, when you know your actually buying!
3) Move all funds out of the accounts that Amazon has access to.
4) Most banks have an online feature to block each card. Do so, so Amazon cant try using a different card. Even with backup payment off, a rep will try another card regardless.
5) Once all cards blocked, go onto Amazons website, and go into the Subscribe and save portion, and cancel every single item. As you do this, you may get bank notices of Amazon's attempts to charge your blocked cards. When they fail, watch how fast all those orders they claimed were shipped get canceled. Amazon NEVER ships until the money is collected. Blocking them saves you time and heartache.
Last year they tried charging me $40 per case of Zevia root beer that was advertised at $12 a case. I had ordered 10, so the $120 order changed to well over $400+. Moment I got the decline message, I moved all funds and blocked cards.
Take screenshots so bank can do charge backs in case you do get ripped off. This is because after I wrote an article, similar to this review, Amazon started splitting orders. If a order changes price, like the root beer. Amazon will charge $40×3 and ship 3 cases at $120, instead of shipping the 10 at $12 for $120, if given the chance.