Advertising on Prime Video: Consumer Advice Centre sues Amazon for 1.8 billion

The Consumer Advice Centre Saxony is following up against Amazon: Due to advertising in Prime Video, the consumer advocates are now suing the online retailer for 1.8 billion euros. According to the Consumer Advice Centre, this is a litigation-financed profit disgorgement lawsuit, which is to be pursued in addition to the class action lawsuit already filed in 2024.

Since February 2024, advertising interruptions have been standard in films and series on Amazon's streaming service. Those who do not want to see the commercials must pay an additional 3 euros per month on top of the regular subscription fee. The consumer advocates sued against this: Amazon had only informed its customers about the upcoming step but had not obtained their consent. Therefore, the price increase was not legally valid.

123,000 Class Action Plaintiffs

According to the Consumer Advice Centre Saxony, 123,000 Prime customers are now participating in the class action lawsuit from last year. However, this is only a fraction of the total 17 million affected users, says Michael Hummel, legal expert at the Consumer Advice Centre Saxony. "That's why we are now demanding the remaining profits from Amazon with our additional profit disgorgement lawsuit. Calculated over three years, we are talking about an estimated minimum of 1.8 billion euros."

Should Amazon lose the lawsuit and have to pay the estimated 1.8 billion euros, the class action plaintiffs would be compensated first. The remaining sum would then go to the Federal Republic of Germany, explains the Consumer Advice Centre in a statement. Affected users can continue to register for the class action lawsuit.

The consumer advocates assume that the court proceedings will take several years. For litigation and financing, the Consumer Advice Centre is working with the law firm Hasfeld and Burford Capital. "This puts us on an equal footing with Amazon and equips us professionally and financially for years of legal disputes. Anyone who violates consumer rights to this extent must reckon with us," says Michael Hummel.

(dahe)