Netflix is angering customers again by eliminating its cheapest ad-free plan.
The streaming giant is notifying users subscribed to its £6.99/$9.99 ‘Basic’ plan that the subscription will expire at the end of the month.
Users are either forced to upgrade to a more expensive plan or are forced to watch ads.
Since July of last year, new or returning Netflix users can no longer sign up for ‘Basic’. Existing subscribers can still use the service, however.
But now the app is being shut down for good – on July 31 – and users are not happy about it, accusing the company of “pure greed.”
Netflix’s ad-supported tier (‘Basic with ads’) launched in November 2022 and was originally an alternative to the existing ad-free ‘Basic’ tier at £6.99. However, Netflix is scrapping this ad-free Basic tier in a bid to force users to move to the ads option.
People took to social media site X (Twitter) to criticize the streaming giant, with one describing the move as ‘the last straw’
Users will receive on-screen notifications from Netflix informing them of the move.
The notification, shared on Reddit by a customer, says: ‘Your last day to watch Netflix is July 13th. Please choose a new plan to keep watching.’
The Reddit user said, “Netflix won’t let me watch the last few weeks of my subscription without resubscribing.
‘There is no option to continue watching without selecting a new subscription.’
People shared similar experiences on social media site X (Twitter) and strongly criticized the streaming giant, with one describing the move as “the last straw.”
In an angry tirade, another user said Netflix could “go to hell with their ads” and accused the $290 billion company of “sheer greed.”
When Netflix announced it would introduce advertising for the first time in fall 2022, it said “nothing would change about the way you watch Netflix.”
In an angry tirade, another user said Netflix could “go to hell with their ads” and accused the $290 billion company of “pure greed”
When Netflix announced in the fall of 2022 that ads would be coming, it said: “Nothing will change about the way you watch Netflix”
Netflix’s ‘Basic with ads’ option will play ads between and even during TV shows and movies, but for a reduced monthly rate of $6.99/£4.99.
It also offers Standard (£10.99/$15.49 per month) or Premium (£17.99/$22.99 per month) options, both of which allow viewers to watch no ads.
Users still on Basic (ad-free) are now forced to opt for one of these alternatives.
In other words, they either have to see ads while paying £4.99 a month, or they have to pay a lot more if they don’t want to see ads at all.
Netflix is discontinuing its ad-free Basic plan in an effort to force users to switch to the advertising option, which generates revenue for the company through advertisers.
Stricter rules are also being introduced for sharing passwords. People will now have to pay extra if they use one Netflix account in multiple households.
Pictured is Netflix’s old pricing structure from just over a year ago: Note the presence of Basic (£6.99). Now, as you scroll through the Netflix website, you won’t see any mention of Basic, as if it never existed. The highest tier (Premium) is also now more expensive – £17.99, up from £15.99
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Tubi is a streaming service from media giant Fox that doesn’t require you to pay or sign up.
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