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Carl Craft

Carl Craft

Carl Craft

Amazon Sued For Charging Extra To Watch Videos Without Advertising

Author Carl Craft
Amazon wants to charge more to watch videos without ads on Prime.

There I was, home sick on Saturday.  Head stuffed up like a Thanksgiving dinner.  Nose dripping.  Fever.  The works.  In between naps and trying to clear my sinuses I pop in on my favorite streaming services when what do I find?  I find a message straight from Jeff Bezos at Amazon:  Amazon wants to charge more to watch videos without ads.  Want to watch without ads?  That’s an extra $2.99 a month.

It took me about 2.3 seconds to let loose with a string of vile and profane comments that would probably get me banned from modern society should I utter in public what I said privately in my bedroom that very moment.

On top of the yearly rate that Amazon plucks from my wallet, now they want more of my money to stream their videos without advertising interruption?  Oh, no way dude.  I’m not putting up with that.

First off, who remembers when Amazon’s yearly subscription was under a hundred bucks?!  When I first agreed to this business model the deal had nothing to do with video entertainment.  It was $99 to get free shipping.  And fast shipping at that.  One day or two day at maximum.

Now, the yearly rate has bucked itself up to $139.  Amazon has sprung up warehouses next to every major American highway and airport.  And yet, for that price, somehow lately the shipping time has GONE UP!  Dude, lately I’m getting more “delivery delayed” notifications than ever.

So on top of that $139 now Bezos The Great thinks he can stick me for an extra $2.99 a month to watch his stupid content without ads?  Dude, your Amazon video content isn’t even THAT GOOD!  CNET lists you 4th.  Wired lists you 5th.     PCMag has you at 4th.  Now might not be the best time to start thinking you can charge us extra to watch your crud without ads popping up everywhere.

Lawsuit Against Amazon For Charging More

But wait!  There’s more.  The Hollywood Reporter is saying that there’s a class action lawsuit bring brought against Amazon about  this issue.  The lawsuit says that “Subscribers must now pay extra to get something they already paid for.”  Damn straight!  Amazon wants to charge more to watch videos without ads?  I say NO WAY.

The lawsuit is seeking 5 million bucks “and a court order barring Amazon from engaging in further deceptive conduct on behalf of users who subscribed to Prime prior to Dec. 28, 2023.”

Finally, sticking it to Jeff Bezos.

7 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money

Do you ever feel like you’re working hard but don’t have the money to show for it? It’s a common sentiment. Well, the good news is that today, there are some ways to make extra money right now that can really add up. Now, there’s no “easy” solution to making more cash. But, we’ve researched some ways that people are making extra money, and they’re simple.

Before we get into ways to make extra money, let’s start with saving money. NerdWallet.com has some really simple tips for saving cash. A big one is to prepare for grocery shopping. That’s so that you aren’t grabbing a bunch of stuff that you don’t need on a whim. “A little work before you go to the grocery store can go a long way toward helping you save money on groceries,” they state. Prepping also means that you can maximize any coupons that you find for items you’ll be purchasing or knowing about loyalty programs ahead of time. The big one is to not impulse by. I’ve done that so many times, when I but cinnamon rolls or something else that I don’t really want just because it looks good at the time.

Another savings tip from NerdWallet.com is to restrict online shopping. Boy, that’s a good one. It’s so easy to sit there on your phone, saving items that look cool in your online cart. Then, all you have to do is hit “order,” but often, you’re ordering a bunch of stuff that you don’t really need. They suggest that, “Instead of saving your billing information, opt to input your shipping address and credit card number each time you order. You’ll probably make fewer impulse purchases because of the extra work involved.” Good idea. Find more tips on saving money from NerdWallet.com here. Forbes has some good advice, too, in suggesting to do real meal prep. It helps avoid eating out too much, which can really add up.

Now, let’s get into easy ways to make extra money.

  • 1. Sell Items You Don't Need Anymore

    This option has been there since the advent of the garage sale. If you have items sitting around that you don’t want or need anymore, sell them. It’s a quick way to make some cash. You can put them up for sale on eBay, a Facebook group or elsewhere online, or you can go the old-fashioned way and hold a yard sale.

  • 2. Pet or House Sit

    I’ve house sat quite a bit, and I personally love it. It’s very peaceful to watch over someone’s house. Duties-wise, it can involve anything from watering plants to just staying there so that nobody breaks in during a long vacation. Pet sitting is also a great way to make a little extra money. While you’re at it, try being a dog walker, too.

  • 3. Be a Mystery Shopper

    Being a mystery shopper is a real thing. You can shop, either online or in person, and get paid for reviewing your experience. But, watch out for scams. A great way to find legit mystery shopper jobs is by looking on job sites such as Ziprecruiter.com or Indeed.com.

  • 4. Take Surveys Online

    You can make money by simply taking online surveys. It’s not usually a lot of money, but it’s better than nothing, and you can do it during downtime. A few major survey sites include Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. Find more via NerdWallet.com here.

  • 5. Publish an E-book

    Self-publishing has never been so easy. If you are very knowledgeable in an area that people want to know about, why not self-publish an e-book? Using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, you can sell your books via the Kindle store. Publishing the book is free, and you can earn an upwards of 70% of each sale in royalties. You can even try your hand at a wild novel and see how it does, if you don’t want to write a practical book.

  • 6. Deliver Groceries or Food

    A quick way to make some cash during your off hours is by delivering groceries or food. Services such as Instacart and Shipt use independent contractors to deliver food to clients. Also, services such as Uber Eats and Doordash are often looking for delivery people.

  • 7. Open a New Bank Account or Credit Card

    It might seem odd to open a new credit card to try to make money, but it can help. Many credit cards offer new client deals, so if you spend a certain amount after signing up, you could get some cash back or other bonuses. Also, you could find a cash back card, where you get cash back on everyday purchases, such as gas or groceries. Say you don’t want a new credit card? You could also open a new bank account at a bank where they are giving cash-back offers for starting business with them. Also, to get the most for your money, look for a high-interest savings.

When Carl is not working at the greatest rock radio station known to mankind; a station known around the globe; a station that has the best music, co-workers, advertisers and most importantly THE BEST F'N LISTENERS you may find me doing any one of the following: Riding or making mountain bike trails. playing with his kids. playing sand volleyball on 5th Ave, cooking amazing food, including on his sweet smoker grill, going to concerts, swimming in the ocean, going to amusement parks with his kids, and other stuff that rocks!

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