A lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses Amazon of violating the Washington Consumer Protection Act for charging Prime subscribers an additional $2.99 fee for commercial-free viewing of Amazon Prime Video.
The class action complaint was filed in federal court for the Western District of Washington.
According to court documents, Amazon Video, a service of Amazon Prime, launched in 2011 and provides commercial-free video content to subscribers.
Then, in Jan. 2024, Amazon introduced ads into the previously commercial-free video and told subscribers they would need to pay an additional $2.99 monthly to avoid commercials.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit say commercial-free video is a feature they already have been paying for and a $2.99 monthly fee not only “constitutes a breach of contract with Amazon,” but also violates the Washington Consumer Protection Act.
The plaintiffs are seeking “actual, consequential, punitive, statutory, and treble damages” plus interest, restitution, and attorney fees.
KIRO 7 has reached out to Amazon for comment.