Cancel Amnesty International the easy way

Overview

Amnesty International is a global human rights organisation with a UK legal entity registered as AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LIMITED. It campaigns, researches and lobbies on human rights violations worldwide and raises funds through memberships, one-off donations, monthly donations and affiliations.

What membership or giving includes

Membership grants direct support to Amnesty research and campaigning, access to email updates and opportunities to take part in actions. Suggested one-off donation amounts on the UK site include £5, £10, £15, £24, £36 and £50.

Company facts

Official pages: membership details and donate.

Email (official method)

1. Open your email account.
2. Address the message to [email protected].
3. Subject line: "Cancel membership" or "Cancel donation".
4. Include your full name, postal address, supporter number if known, and the exact instruction: "I request cancellation of my Amnesty International membership/donation with immediate effect."
5. Send and save a copy of the sent message for proof.

SMS (stop fundraising texts)

1. To stop paid SMS donation flows, text STOP to 70505. Note: your network may charge the cost of a standard message.
2. To unsubscribe with no fee email [email protected].
3. If you mistakenly sent a premium SMS donation contact your mobile network for a refund request; Amnesty advises this in their SMS terms.

Phone (if you have a phone contact)

1. If you have been called by Amnesty and have the caller number, ask the caller for the Supporter Care Team contact details and confirm cancellation by email.
2. If you want to stop being called but keep SMS, text NOCALL to 70505.

By post (registered letter)

1. Write a short letter including your full name, postal address, supporter number and statement: "I cancel my Amnesty International membership/donation with immediate effect."
2. Send by recorded/registered post to: Amnesty International, 1 Easton Street, WC1X 0DW London, United Kingdom.
3. Keep the postal receipt and any reply.

Moving abroad

If you are moving address you can still cancel by emailing [email protected] or by post. Provide proof of new address such as a new UK or foreign utility bill or tenancy agreement if Amnesty requests verification. Applicable law: Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Price increase

If Amnesty increases a membership fee and you do not agree to the change you may terminate your membership prior to the change taking effect. Provide the cancellation email or letter dated before the fee change notice. Applicable law: Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Death of subscriber

To cancel after a member's death email [email protected] or send a postal request. Include a copy of the death certificate or a funeral director letter as supporting evidence if requested.

Legitimate grounds accepted by Amnesty

Research notes Amnesty accepts termination requests for any reason by email to their Supporter Care Team. If your cancellation is due to a billing error or accidental double payment, request a refund and attach bank/card statements showing the error. See Amnesty's refunds page for examples: refunds guidance.

End of commitment or rolling donations

Most memberships and monthly donations are cancellable at any time by emailing [email protected]. If you hold a direct debit and do not agree to a fee change, cancel before the effective date of the change to stop future debits. Applicable law: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

Cooling-off period (14-day right)

For distance contracts (online, phone, mail) you have a 14-day cooling-off period under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. If you asked Amnesty to start the service during the 14 days and you gave express consent and acknowledged loss of the right to cancel, the right is lost. If you did not give that express consent, you keep your cooling-off right. If you cancel under this rule, seek a refund for any prepaid but unsupplied services; the trader must refund within 14 days of receiving the cancellation.

Before you cancel: negotiate

Amnesty International does not publish routine retention discounts or reduced rates. The published retention or lower-cost options you can request are:

• Switch to Concessionary Membership at £1 per month (if eligible).
• Switch to the annual Standard Membership rate of £48 per year rather than monthly billing.
• Change to Payroll Giving at £10 per month for tax-efficient giving if offered by your employer.

To ask for alternatives, email [email protected] stating which option you prefer and asking for confirmation of the change in writing.

What cancelling saves you - yearly saving calculations

Use these exact calculations to see what you save by cancelling:

• Standard Membership: £4 x 12 = £48 per year.
• Concessionary Membership: £1 x 12 = £12 per year.
• Amnesty Uncovers donation: £10 x 12 = £120 per year.
• Payroll Giving example: £10 x 12 = £120 per year (net cost to donor varies by tax rate).

Example: if you cancel a Standard Membership paid monthly you save £4 per month, which is £48 per year.

Cheapest real alternative: receiving campaign emails and taking free online actions has a price of £0 per year compared with paid membership. If you prefer not to pay, you can remove yourself from paid membership and keep free email updates where available.

Key UK consumer laws

Your cancellation and refund rights are governed by the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 for distance contracts and by the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for the standard of service and unfair contract terms.

Cooling-off and refunds

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 you have 14 days to cancel a distance contract for services. If you cancel in that period the trader must refund you within 14 days of receiving your cancellation notice. If you consented to immediate start of services and acknowledged losing cancellation rights, you may not have a cooling-off right for services already supplied.

Auto-renewal and unfair terms

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) treats hard-to-cancel subscriptions and unclear auto-renewal as potential unfair practices. If Amnesty used unclear auto-renewal terms or made cancellation difficult, these actions could be challenged under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Escalation path

1) Complain to Amnesty International first via [email protected] or by post to 1 Easton Street, WC1X 0DW, London.

2) If unresolved, contact Citizens Advice for guidance and potential referral.

3) For qualifying card payments, consider a Section 75 claim or a chargeback through your card issuer.

Save proof

Save the cancellation email, registered-post receipt or SMS confirmation. Keep a timestamped copy of your cancellation message and any reply from Amnesty Supporter Care Team.

Final billing and refunds

If you prepaid for a period after the cancellation date and did not receive services, you can request a refund. Amnesty states website donations are only refunded in exceptional circumstances such as administrative errors. If you paid by direct debit and disputed a change in fees, cancel before the change becomes effective.

Access to communications and data

After cancellation you should stop receiving fundraising messages once Amnesty processes the request. For data handling questions request confirmation of data deletion or retention from [email protected] and reference the rights under UK data protection law.

Re-activation

To rejoin, use the membership sign-up at Amnesty membership page. Re-joining will create a new membership record unless Amnesty confirms a reactivation option.

Follow this checklist to make cancellation effective and provable.

• Write and send an email to [email protected] with the phrase: "I cancel my Amnesty International membership/donation with immediate effect."
• If you prefer post, send a signed letter by recorded delivery to: Amnesty International, 1 Easton Street, WC1X 0DW London, United Kingdom.
• If stopping SMS appeals, text STOP to 70505 or email [email protected] to unsubscribe without carrier charges.
• Keep copies: sent email, posted letter receipt, bank statement showing future payments stopped.
• If you expect a refund for an administrative error, include bank/card evidence and reference Amnesty's refunds guidance: refunds guidance.
• If cancellation is not processed within a reasonable time, escalate to Citizens Advice and your card issuer for chargeback/Section 75 options.