E-Commerce: Bundesgerichtshof prüft Preiserhöhung bei Amazon-Prime

The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) is currently examining Amazon's recent decision to increase Prime subscription prices in Germany beyond 20 Euros per year, without prior consent from users. This case has implications for millions of Amazon Prime subscribers across the country, as well as customers of other streaming providers.

In 2022, Amazon raised the price of its Prime subscription from 69 Euros annually (8.99 Euros monthly) to 89.90 Euros per year (8.99 Euros monthly) in Germany. The increased price was justified by Amazon as the result of rising costs.

In April 2022, the Düsseldorf Regional Court and the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court ruled in favor of consumers, declaring the German Prime membership program's price increase clause invalid. The decision is not yet final, as Amazon plans to appeal the ruling to the BGH. Amazon has consistently denied the accusations, stating that it provided clear and transparent information about the changes to its Prime membership fees and that customers always had the right to cancel their membership at any time.

The BGH's decision could have significant ramifications for consumers who have overpaid for their Prime subscriptions. As of now, over 145,000 individuals have registered as affected parties in a collective lawsuit against Amazon by the Verbraucherzentrale Nordrhein-Westfalen. The outcome of the BGH case could lead to refunds for some of these consumers, potentially up to 60 Euros depending on their subscription plan.