As of: February 12, 2024, 5:01 a.m
By: Julia Hanigk
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Amazon Prime is changing its model: subscription customers are now shown advertising when streaming.
But there is a way to get around the annoying interruptions.
Munich – Amazon Prime will be advertising from February.
Customers do not have to accept any new terms for this change to Prime.
If you don't respond, your subscription will be automatically adjusted.
What can users do now?
Amazon also comes with advertising as a standard subscription.
(Symbolic image) © Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Wire/IMAGO
Amazon Prime plays advertising in the standard subscription
In plain language, the changes mean for consumers: Anyone who currently uses the standard subscription for 8.99 euros per month will now be confronted with advertising on Amazon.
Before the start of the selected film or series, two commercials with a length of between 20 and 40 seconds are automatically played.
But that's not all, because the clips can also appear again in a similar length during playback.
According to the
Wall Street Journal,
consumers can expect advertising time of up to three minutes per hour.
Amazon itself stated that its goal was to “show significantly less advertising than traditional television channels and other video streaming providers.”
Amazon Prime without advertising?
That costs extra
If you want to avoid the annoying interruptions, you have to pay more and change your Amazon subscription.
The ad-free option costs an additional 2.99 euros, for a total of 11.98 euros.
Amazon says it plans to invest the additional revenue in even more exclusive content.
For those who neither want to pay more nor accept advertising, there is at least the option of canceling the Amazon Prime subscription completely.
Prepaid amounts will then be refunded.
Association of consumer organizations announced a lawsuit against Amazon
But the last word has not yet been spoken.
Because: The
Federal Association of Consumer Organizations
expressed skepticism as to whether this change might violate the General Terms and Conditions (GTC).
The association sees the advertising clips on Amazon Prime as a “significant contractual change” for which the consent of the customers would actually have been required.
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Association boss Ramona Pop commented on this to the
Bild newspaper
: “Amazon cannot simply present its Prime Video customers with a fait accompli.
This is a disregard for consumer law.” The federal association announced a lawsuit because of a “hidden price increase”.
Stiftung Warentest
also takes
a similar view and describes the advertising on its website as “illegal”.
In response to a query from
Bild
, Amazon replied: “We informed customers about this update to Prime Video transparently, in advance and in accordance with applicable law.”
Not just Amazon Prime: Further changes in February
Amazon Prime is not the only streaming provider that now displays advertising.
The two main competitors Disney+ and Netflix are also testing advertising clips between their content.
But it wasn't just streaming services that saw fundamental changes from February.
Consumers also have to adapt in other areas.
When buying meat, a new obligation to label the origin now applies and certain age groups can apply for pensions for those who have been insured for a long time for the first time.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here. (jh)