Shady price hikes mean Netflix must refund customer, German court rules

Setting a legal precedent, a court in Cologne has ruled that Netflix must reimburse a customer 200 euros for failing to acquire sufficient consent for subscription price rises.

Netflix must reimburse German subscriber 200 euros

A district court in Cologne has ruled that US media streaming company Netflix must pay a German customer 200 euros for failing to sufficiently inform them of subscription price rises.

Staggered price rises from 11,99 euros per month in December 2017 to 17,99 euros per month in May 2022 mean that Netflix has increased its prices by over 50 percent in four and a half years.

The court ruling did not condemn the high price increases, but the fact that customers did not have to give more active and informed consent when agreeing to pay more for the same subscription.

When a “price change confirmation” pop-up appeared on their Netflix account, customers had the opportunity to click “agree” or “cancel subscription”. The Cologne court ruled that this notification implied the price increase was a done deal, rather than a change that required customer consent.

German Netflix customers can file complaint with template letter

In light of the ruling, German consumer rights magazine Stiftung Warentest published a letter template which Netflix subscribers in Germany can use to file a complaint if they believe Netflix sought their consent to price rises in a dubious manner.

According to the magazine, “If you are currently still a Netflix subscriber and have been paying 13,99 (standard subscription) or 19,99 (premium subscription) since 2024, you have almost certainly agreed to the last price increase," meaning your complaint could be successful.

In January 2025, Netflix announced that it had a record number of subscribers, more than 300 million people. The company has not published how many of its subscribers live in Germany.