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German Consumer Group Files €1.8 Billion Profit-Disgorgement Suit Against Amazon Over Prime Video Ads

The filing expands an ongoing collective case that says customers were pushed into ad breaks and reduced audio and video standards without opting in.

Overview

  • Verbraucherzentrale Sachsen has added a profit-disgorgement claim seeking at least €1.8 billion tied to Prime Video’s February 2024 shift to advertising.
  • More than 123,000–126,000 Prime users have registered for the action, which is open to accounts that existed before February 5, 2024.
  • Consumer advocates say Amazon trimmed features for the ad-supported tier by removing Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, while HDR10, 4K and Dolby Digital 5.1 remain.
  • The organization expects a multi-year court process and is working with law firm Hasfeld and litigation funder Burford Capital.
  • If the case succeeds, registered claimants are paid first and any remainder goes to the federal treasury, while a separate OLG Düsseldorf ruling on Amazon’s 2022 Prime price hike enables refund claims pending a final decision by the Federal Court of Justice, with experts urging action by the end of 2025 to avoid limitation.