On Friday, Amazon customers received an email notifying them of an update to the site's terms and conditions. Prominently, the message indicated that disputes would now be resolved through arbitration and that users accepted a waiver of class-action lawsuits. Amazon presented this as a "quick and efficient" way to resolve issues, although notably it would prevent customers from seeking the intervention of a judge or jury in most circumstances.
Customers can still take Amazon to small claims court in certain circumstances, although payments are typically limited to a few thousand dollars. The relevant sections of Amazon's legal policies page now state that the customer and the company agree that any dispute will be resolved through binding arbitration.