Netflix customers can be happy: the court declared the clause invalid – so there is money back
Created: 02/28/2022, 17:36
By: Leyla Yildiz
The streaming service Netflix has repeatedly increased its prices in recent years.
(Archive image) © Debarchan Chatterjee/Imago
Netflix customers can claim money back from the streaming service.
This is made possible by a court ruling in Berlin that declared a clause invalid.
Berlin – Anyone who has a Netflix account knows that prices have risen rapidly in recent years.
In 2014 you still had to pay 11.99 euros for a premium subscription, since 2021 17.99 euros have to be put on the table.
But here is some good news for consumers.
In one case, the Berlin Regional Court ruled that these price increases are ineffective for existing customers.
The lawsuit was filed by the Federation of Consumer Organizations.
Netflix stated the following in its Terms of Service: "We may, in our reasonable discretion, change the price of our subscription offerings from time to time to reflect the effect of changes in the total costs associated with our service." However, the District Court found, that is far too unclear.
In addition, consumers cannot see that they can turn to a court to check whether Netflix has actually taken the interests of its users into account.
Netflix clause ineffective: Streaming provider appeals against verdict
However, the judgment is not yet final, which is why the streaming provider has appealed.
However, the legal experts at Stiftung Warentest do not see a great chance of success.
In your opinion, the verdict is quite convincing.
They think that the two courts having jurisdiction on appeal will agree with the district court's verdict.
But what does that mean for Netflix customers?
According to the verdict, all fee increases that have taken place so far are invalid.
It mainly affects old subscribers who have completed their subscription at a previous price and not at the current one.
You can request a refund from Netflix.
On the other hand, if you switched from the cheaper Standard subscription to Premium at a later point in time, you have to pay the price that applied at the time of the switch.
Money back for Netflix users: Customers have to take action themselves
As
Stiftung Warentest
has calculated, Netflix users who had already completed their premium subscriptions by the end of 2016 will get back up to 226 euros.
There is also interest.
If the collection of the fee is due in March, another six euros would be added to the sum.
The foundation had asked Netflix how customers could now get their money.
However, no answer was ever returned.
There will probably not be a refund on its own.
The customers must therefore become active themselves.
For this purpose, the organization has drawn up a sample letter that streaming users can send to Netflix.
It can be found on their website.
With this step, however, there is a risk that the provider will cancel the users' subscriptions at the old price.
You can sign up again at the new price at any time.
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Meanwhile, subscribers in the US and Canada are facing a price increase.
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