Amazon Prime Video

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seahermit
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Amazon Prime Video

Postby seahermit » Fri May 01, 2020 1:53 am

I think one or two people out there might be able to explain this to me? I signed up to Amazon Prime Video to help me get through the lockdown and indeed there is an excellent array of modern films and old classics - basic subscription £7.99 per month, great value.

But clearly I haven't read the conditions properly .. or they are deliberately opaque. You are supposed to get a free trial for the first month but I have been billed £7.99 from the day I registered. In addition, many of the films are not free but come with another one-off payment of two or three pounds to rent (or more to purchase). It's not just me - there are numerous complaints listed on Google about the extra charges.

I'm new to all this. There are several popular film/TV sites, Netflix in the lead of course, but Amazon seemed to be fairly simple to manage. Except for dummies like me! Can anyone enlighten me please about quite how the site works?

The films themselves are great. A number of wonderful foreign films are included, things I never thought I would see again. L' Armee des Hombres is an engrossing drama about the French Resistance, very realistic and chilling.

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Richard
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby Richard » Fri May 01, 2020 10:20 am

seahermit,
As far as I am aware you get Amazon Prime streaming video as an 'extra' with the package called 'Amazon Prime' that allows extra speedy delivery of goods ordered on Amazon website.
You also get Music, Reading and Audio stuff, and more, free with Prime.
There is also an à la carte for rentals and purchases of its content.

You should not be charged for your first month - check with the online contact number, it probably won't actually be taken until one month.

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seahermit
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby seahermit » Sun May 03, 2020 1:31 am

Thanks for that, Richard. The £7.99 monthly charge was debited from my bank account almost immediately after I registered for Amazon Prime Video. Not at all what was said in the introductory offer.

It looks at the moment as if Amazon are pulling a fast one. I can't be bothered to argue with them for the sake of just a few pounds, so I will probably cancel before the end of the month's trial. I bet that extracting myself will prove to be difficult and complicated!!

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Derek Jempson
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby Derek Jempson » Sun May 03, 2020 6:33 am

It's very difficult to buy anything from Amazon without inadvertently signing up to Prime. For instance, they offer free delivery and you think, "OK that's fine" and go ahead, but then find that you have joined Prime. It's happened to me a couple of times. You are right - extracting yourself is not easy, but it can be done.

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Richard
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby Richard » Sun May 03, 2020 10:08 am

I suspect seahermit signed up for Prime Video and omitted to tick the 'free trial' box.
You can manage the options in 'my account'.
Also Customer Service are very helpful and will act as you instruct them.

Prime membership costs either £7.99 a month or £79 a year - with the latter making more economic sense at the equivalent of £6.58 a month. Alternatively, you can switch to subscribe to Prime Video exclusively for £5.99 a month, that's if you don't want the other Prime benefits.

You can switch from monthly to yearly subscription options - If you have a monthly membership for Prime Video, you can upgrade to Amazon Prime in the Settings section of Your Account.

How do I contact Amazon UK by phone?
0800 279 7234

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seahermit
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby seahermit » Sun May 03, 2020 10:57 pm

Evidently I missed something, or missed ticking a box somewhere, when I signed up. No matter. Surprisingly yes, for such a big organisation, I have found Amazon Customer Services to be pretty helpful when problems occurred.

I have also accidentally signed up to Prime a couple of times. It's easy enough to cancel it again later, but I hate all theses tricks and ploys - very irritating and time-wasting.

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Richard
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby Richard » Mon May 04, 2020 10:41 am

The unwary fly, glued fast to the spider's web, may wish instead to be taken for a currant baked in a bun and palmed off on the unwary, so that he could die happy!

Apologies to Mark Twain.

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seahermit
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby seahermit » Wed May 06, 2020 2:05 am

Another good site (for us serious connoisseurs!) is the BFI one. Terrific list of classic and foreign films - little of your Hollywood action rubbish with lots of car chases and explosions. I actually for a moment was wishing the lockdown would last longer, so I can enjoy myself working through it all ..

However, another issue has come up. My TV (not a smart one) has a broken built-in DVD player. I think it unlikely that it is worth going for a repair, more sensible to replace or upgrade the set. But I would like to relay films from PC to TV. Any thoughts by anyone on the simplest /best way to do that? I know a cable should work (probably also need a second one for the audio?) but what about the Amazon FireStick or similar devices? I know nothing at all about the new technology but I am assuming that I could manage to connect by WiFi to my router and dispense with any cables or other paraphernalia?
Would I even need to upgrade to a Smart TV first? I'm sure someone out there can help with my mental fog!

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Richard
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby Richard » Wed May 06, 2020 5:12 am

A 'smart' TV is a TV that can connect to the internet without the need for a set-top box or streaming device.
I don't have a 'smart' TV, I use Amazon 'Fire' TV stick as a streaming device to connect my computer by WIFI to the TV.
The computer has to be turned on and the TV has to use the streaming device to connect to it.
The TV has to be set to the right connection channel in much the same way as a DVD player has to be connected via the TV remote control pad.

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seahermit
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Re: Amazon Prime Video

Postby seahermit » Wed May 06, 2020 3:02 pm

Thanks very much for that, Richard. So, I should be able to download films to the TV without the need (for now) of an upgraded TV set. Good.

I didn't quite understand your last statement - presumably by the "right connection channel", you mean resetting "Input" in the TV settings. On some TVs, inserting a DVD automatically switches the TV to displaying DVD input, on others you have to manually change the Input.

I am also confused by the Alexa personal assistant business! I think it comes built-in with the Firestick, but I absolutely have no interest in shouting out "Alexa, please dim the lights or tell me the weather"! Presumably that can be switched off.

I am very wary of the complicated new technology- apart from the security risks of having everything in your home connected to the home hub, do we really need to check the fridge, switch the lights on (you can even pull the curtains!) whilst still slouching on the sofa? It all seems completely unnecessary, only for the gadget-obsessed, unhealthy as well? What's wrong with flicking a wall-switch?


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