DAZN customers are raging about the subscription increase: an expert considers it "ineffective" - a class action lawsuit is to follow
Created: 06/01/2023 23:12
By: Ulrike Hagen
Triple the prices, questionable terms and conditions, lack of customer service: The sports streaming provider DAZN enrages its customers.
Consumer centers now want to raise class action lawsuits.
London/Munich – When the streaming service DAZN started in Germany in August 2016, the euphoria was still great: For 9.99 euros a month, there was a cornucopia of games broadcast for sports freaks – including from the NFL, the NBA and the EHF to UFC and darts competitions.
But now the price has tripled - and the excitement of the community has turned to anger.
The hard allegations of the users: usury, gag subscriptions, insidious consumer deception.
In the meantime, the consumer advice centers have also become aware – and want to file class action lawsuits.
Triple the prices, questionable terms and conditions, lack of customer service.
Sports streaming provider DAZN enrages customers.
Consumer centers now want to raise class action lawsuits.
(Iconic image) © dpa/Soeren Stache
"For the money I'd rather go to the whorehouse, a yodel": rip-off at DAZN causes Shitstorm
The sports portal had already announced hefty price increases at the beginning of the year.
Since August, DAZN has been charging more than twice as much as in the previous year for access to its streaming services – up to 360 euros a year.
On behalf of many, a user on Trustpilot reports on his expensive “membership”, which he cannot get out of: “The subscription was very quietly extended because of the new terms of use.
(The conditions have been changed since the subscription was already running).
DAZN is now constantly trying to debit and the support has already been presented with it and they are not interested.
This is how you can withdraw customers.
DAZN never ever again.
For this money I'd rather go to the whorehouse, a yodel.”
DAZN: Customers are up in arms against drastic price increases – and rail against subscription traps
The subscription now costs EUR 29.99 for a monthly cancellable membership and EUR 24.99 for a one-year membership.
As the reason for the steep price increase, which is only now taking effect for many annual subscribers, the DAZN Group cites the growing range of sports with many exclusive broadcasting rights, including Bundesliga games: "In the past six years, we have become one of the largest investors in the grown in German sport.
Actually, we should have raised the price earlier, ”explained Alice Mascia, who has been the head of the sports streaming provider in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since May last year, to the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
last September.
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DAZN customers rage: “Cannot warn enough about machinations”
The customers are not convinced.
There is a hail of nasty comments on social media, rating portals and also on the DAZN YouTube channel.
In addition to the horrendously increased prices, the subscription practices are also criticized: “You cannot warn enough about the machinations of DAZN.
A year ago we signed a contract for 149.99 euros/year.
Without any further information, 299.99 euros will be debited 1 year later.
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Consumer centers want to bring a class action: “Consumers should get their money back”
"We consider the price increase as it appears to us to be ineffective," explains Sebastian Reiling from the
Federation of Consumer Organizations (vzbv)
in an interview with kreiszeitung.de from
IPPEN.MEDIA.
"We want a so-called model lawsuit, a class action lawsuit under German law , ensure that DAZN has to pay the customer back the money".
In order to collect cases, a call was released at www.musterfeststellungsklagen.de/dazn/aufruf, under which affected consumers can report.
“The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) considers the underlying terms and conditions clause to be non-transparent and therefore the price increase for existing customers to be illegal.
With a class action lawsuit, he wants to get back the overpaid fees from the provider for those affected.
"Never again DAZN": Users mercilessly let the streaming service fail on rating portals
In any case, the verdict on the Trustpilot rating portal is: devastating.
There are just 1.2 stars for the streaming service.
"Dude … you're getting worse than Sky and that's really difficult!" Etches a user.
A "real" support does not seem to exist.
Some customers who contacted customer service report being processed by the bot in the chat or being kicked out of the chat by an employee: "After explaining my problem several times in the chat, the employee simply gave the Chat ended without offering further help.”
According to reports from some of those affected, inquiries by e-mail are not answered at all or only after months.
A complaint sent by Verbraucherschutz.de to DAZN by email on July 13, 2022 about a debit from DAZN that was unjustified from the customer’s point of view was only answered almost three months later, on September 23, 2022.
Special offers for new customers, expensive subscriptions for existing customers
Probably a tactic to keep the decline in "memberships" in check.
Another method: Acquiring new customers with limited-time special offers.
Even those who want to cancel their annual subscription (for 299 euros) are currently granted a price discount of 120 euros.
A - nevertheless - ex-customer writes: "Too late, friends of the sun.
Too late!
You don't see me anymore.
You could have saved yourself the backwards roll.” Another commented: “Come back!
We're only doubling the price instead of tripling it!”
Kreiszeitung.de asked DAZN on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 and Thursday, January 5, 2023 for a statement on the allegations made by customers.
So far there has been no reaction.
Questionable design of the terms and conditions: lawsuit against DAZN before the district court of Munich
It remains to be seen whether DAZN has done a good job with the methods, which are questionable from a consumer point of view, the billions invested in exclusive rights – most recently for the majority of live broadcasts of the Champions League with a value estimated by experts at 300 million euros .
Because an action for an injunction by the
vzbv
due to the design of the terms and conditions of the streaming service is already underway.
After the umbrella organization of consumer protection associations had already obtained judgments against price adjustment clauses on Netflix and Spotify, the focus is now on the British unicorn company.
The Munich Regional Court will soon decide whether the provider's price change clause, which was included in the terms of use in February 2022, is permissible at all.
