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A consumer in California has sued Amazon for its recent decision to show ads on Prime Video.
Wilbert Napoleon filed the class-action lawsuit against Amazon on Friday alleging deceptive trade practices. The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the lawsuit.
The 18-page complaint argues that Amazon violated consumer protection laws in California and Washington by forcing the ads on consumers, who signed up for the service believing it would offer an ad-free video experience during their subscription. Amazon added commercials to its streaming service on Jan. 29; getting rid of them costs an extra $2.99 per month.
“However, Plaintiff and class members’ reasonable expectations were not met. Instead of receiving a subscription that included ad-free streaming of tv shows and movies, they received something worth less,” the lawsuit says. “They cannot enjoy ad-free streaming unless they pay an extra $2.99/month. Thus, Amazon’s false advertisements harm consumers by depriving them of the reasonable expectations to which they are entitled.”
Napoleon purchased an annual Prime subscription last year; it currently costs $139 per year. But he now says Amazon effectively breached the contract by ditching the ad-free experience before his subscription expired.
The complaint also notes that Amazon had marketed Prime Video as a “commercial-fee” service since 2011. “Reasonable consumers, who rely on Amazon to provide accurate and truthful information about its services, cannot reasonably avoid this injury,” the lawsuit adds. “And Amazon’s actions offer no countervailing benefits—misrepresenting its service harms both consumers and honest competition.”
Amazon declined to comment on the lawsuit, which is seeking nationwide relief for all affected consumers. This includes asking the judge to force Amazon to pay damages and restitution.
UPDATE: After introducing ads to Prime Video, Amazon has quietly made another controversial change: removing Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos as free features on the service.