Amazon Prime Video ads mid-subscription: consumer ruling
Amazon Prime Video ads mid-subscription have been ruled unfair in one Hyderabad consumer case. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-I directed Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd to refund Rs 1,499 to a Prime member after ads appeared during his active annual subscription.
What changed
The commission passed its order on October 1, 2026, in C.C. No. 303/2026. It held that introducing advertisements during the paid subscription period and asking the member to pay an additional Rs 699 for ad-free viewing amounted to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
Amazon was also directed to pay Rs 5,000 as compensation and Rs 3,000 towards litigation costs within 45 days.
The order followed a complaint by Kondhoba Rajesh, who bought an annual Prime membership for Rs 1,499 on May 11, 2025. He said ads began appearing on June 17, 2025, and that Amazon asked him to pay Rs 699 to restore ad-free viewing.
Who it affects
The order applies only to Rajesh’s complaint. It does not direct Amazon to refund or restore ad-free viewing for other Prime members whose annual subscriptions were active when ads began appearing across India on June 17, 2025.
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Amazon offered ad-free viewing as an add-on for Rs 699 a year or Rs 129 a month. The commission has not issued a direction covering other subscribers.
The commission noted that Amazon introduced the change while Rajesh’s membership was active, rather than at renewal. It also found that he had not been informed at the time of purchase that ad-free viewing could be withdrawn during the paid subscription period.
Under Section 41 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, a party can appeal a District Commission order before the State Commission within 45 days, subject to applicable conditions including depositing 50% of the amount ordered to be paid. MediaNama could not confirm whether Amazon has appealed.
Source
MediaNama was not able to access the commission’s order.
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