Amazon Class-Action rights case via Prime Video advertisements rejected by Judge

A federal judge rejected a class-action right case against Amazon by dissatisfied customers who claimed that the company had cheated and cheated on introducing advertisements in prime video, unless they paid extra.

Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein of the American district court of the Western district of Washington On July 16, Amazon’s request submitted to reject the consolidated complaint from the Class Action.

Firstly, Jacobs Rothstein quoted the earlier ruling of the court that the introduction of Ads of Amazon in Prime Video “was not a price increase; it was an adjustment of the benefit, and such a change was specifically considered and authorized by the ruling agreements of the parties.”

Jacobs Rothstein also settled other arguments of the claimants. That included the claim that Amazon is concerned with an “bait and switch” and “misled Prime subscribers”, because (as claimed) the users “reasonably understood, based on their past about Amazon” that prime video “would remain advertising-free”. The judge concluded that the ‘understanding’ of the claimants that Amazon would not change that the Prime Video service was not really ‘reasonable’.

The judge noted in her ruling that “because this is the third attempt by the claimants to argue feasible claims against Amazon, and every time the considerably similar claims and theories claimed, no further change will be permitted.” She rejected the consolidated class action complaint with prejudice. A copy of the decision is available on this link.

A lawsuit brought in February 2024 against Amazon on behalf of Prime Video users accused the company of false advertisements and misleading practices about the change by Prime Video to serve advertisements, unless customers pay $ 2.99/month more. “For years, people have bought and renewed their Amazon Prime subscriptions because they are convinced that they would include advertising-free streaming,” said the court case. “But last month, Amazon changed the deal. To stream films and TV programs without advertisements, Amazon customers now have to pay an extra $ 2.99 per month … This is not fair, because these subscribers have already been paid for the advertising-free version; these subscribers would not have to pay extra $ 2.99/month for something they have already paid.”

In September 2024, the claimants filed a consolidated complaint in the Class action, claiming that Amazon had violated the conditions that arrange their prime memberships.

In his motion to reject the complaint last fall, Amazon pointed to its general terms and conditions, which notice that the company can “choose at its own discretion to add or remove Prime membership benefits.”

“Amazon has never promised-to-prime members whether someone would always be or completely ad-free,” the company said in the application at the court.