Consumer advice center is suing Amazon Prime Video

Consumer advice center is suing Amazon Prime Video

The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (VZBV) has announced that it will take legal action against the Amazon streaming service Prime Video. The reason for this is that Amazon gives its customers the choice of either seeing advertising during streaming in the future or remaining ad-free for a slightly higher monthly fee. Consumer advocates view this change critically and demand that users must agree as it is a significant contractual change.

Amazon had previously announced that it would offer a limited number of films and series with advertising from February 5th. However, this met with resistance from the consumer advice center. They are of the opinion that the consent of the users is necessary for the change to take effect. The VZBV has therefore already warned Amazon and plans to take legal action against the unilateral decision.

The head of the association, Ramona Pop, emphasized that Amazon should not simply present its Prime Video customers with a fait accompli. It would be a disregard for consumer law if users do not have to actively consent, especially in the case of significant contract changes. The association's lawsuit aims to preserve the ad-free option for Prime Video users, as was previously contractually agreed.

Amazon rejected the allegations and emphasized that it had fulfilled all legal obligations. According to Amazon spokesman Michael Ostermeier, Prime Video customers were informed transparently and had the opportunity to choose between various options, including the ad-free version. The controversy between the consumer advice center and Amazon continues to escalate while the company defends its position and points out the users' freedom of choice.