Amazon Prime customers angered at unwanted upgrade as internet giant hikes cost of subscription by £30 a year
Subscribers to its Prime service, which gives free one-day delivery and access to a library of Kindle books in exchange for an annual fee, will see the annual cost soar from £49 to £79. Customers were sent an email this week announcing ‘exciting upgrades and changes’ to the service. Amazon said Prime customers — many who have signed up just to get books sent quickly in the post — could be given membership to its online film and TV service, called Prime Instant Video.
Here is the email in all its glory….
We’re pleased to announce some exciting upgrades and changes to your Amazon Prime membership. Since 2008 we’ve increased the number of items eligible for Unlimited One-Day Delivery from 1 million to over 7 million, in addition to adding over 500,000 books to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library for you to borrow. Now we’re making Amazon Prime even better.
Your Amazon Prime membership will include Amazon’s new Prime Instant Video streaming service beginning February 26, 2014
Prime Instant Video – Britain’s largest subscription streaming service – will give you instant and unlimited access to over 15,000 digital movies and TV episodes. Watch instantly, anywhere by streaming from Amazon.co.uk or via hundreds of compatible devices from Kindle Fire, iPhone and iPad to smart TVs, Blu-ray players and games consoles.
Prime Instant Video will give you unlimited access to popular TV shows like Dexter and Prison Break, exclusive movies such as The Hangover: Part 2 and Friends with Benefits, and exclusive hit TV shows like Vikings and The Walking Dead. There will always be something great to watch with new titles added every week.
As a valued Prime member you will be able to start streaming videos at no additional cost beginning February 26, 2014 and your Prime annual fee will not change until you renew in 2015. After that, your membership will continue for the new price of just £79 per year (passing on £41 in annual savings compared to adding a separate streaming membership).