Topics: Amazon, Amazon Prime, World News, UK News, Film and TV, Entertainment
A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed against Amazon accusing the platform of misleading Prime subscribers.
You come home after a long day in the office, exhausted by a monotonous week to find a letter through your letterbox listing an extortionate bill for your electricity amid a gruelling cost of living crisis.
You resolve to treat yourself to an episode or two of your favorite Amazon Prime release for some brief escapism, turn on your TV, click play, but what should you find? ADVERTS.
On Friday (9 February), a proposed class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court against Amazon, accusing it of violating the American state's consumer protection laws, breaching its contract with subscribers and unfair competition.
Advert
The backlash first started when Amazon revealed it would be bringing 'limited advertisements' to its Prime Video subscribers - making the ad tier its default subscription.
Its website states: "To continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time, starting in 2024, Prime Video shows and movies will include limited advertisements in the UK.
"We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers. No action is required for Prime members. We’re not making changes in 2024 to the current price of Prime membership.
"We will also offer a new ad-free option and will share the price of that option at a later date."
Amazon later emailed Prime members, revealing the date the adverts would come into play would be 29 January, 2024 and offering them the option to pay an additional $2.99-a-month to not have to suffer through ads.
And viewers are not very happy.
The proposed complaint - filed on behalf of users who subscribed to Prime before 28 December, 2023 and who subsequently saw the terms of their subscription change - argues that subscribers are being forced to 'pay extra to get something they already paid for' which it says is 'unfair,' as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
It also argues the ad-tier 'harms both consumers' as well as 'honest competition'.
It alleges that by advertising Prime Video as 'commercial-free' for so many years and now going against that by making the default plan with ads means it allegedly benefitted illegally.
The proposed class action is looking to have Amazon barred from pulling any similar stunts in the future and is seeking $5 million plus.
UNILAD has reached out to Amazon Prime for comment.
