Netflix ordered to refund customers amid price hikes, court rules - here's who will be eligible

Italian Netflix customers may be getting a nice refund from Netflix after a recent court judgment.

With prices for the streaming service - home to award-winning shows such as Stranger Things, Bridgerton and Wednesday - steadily rising in the US, it's getting a lot more expensive to stream your favorite show.

But a court ruling in Italy may help turn the tide of that.

What refunds has Netflix been ordered to give customers?

The Italian courts have ruled that Netflix has breached the country's rules regarding its price hikes for subscriptions.

Reuters reported that the streamer has been found at fault by the courts in Italy over its rising subscription costs being against the country's Consumer Code.

Specifically, the ruling states that Netflix breached this code in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2024, according to Euro News.

Thanks to the ruling, each Italian subscriber to Netflix could be entitled to a reduction in their current subscription price.

But not only that, they would also be entitled to reimbursement of the money they've spent on the past rising charges to use Netflix.

Reuters reported that, thanks to the ruling, some subscribers could even go further and be entitled to further compensation.

But this is not a cut-and-dry case. Netflix is aware of the ruling and has already released a statement about its findings, which could throw cold water on subscribers' hopes for a refund.

What has Netflix said about the court ruling and the refunds?

However, Netflix has told Reuters that it plans to appeal the court's decision.

In a statement, they said: "We take consumer rights very seriously and believe our terms have always ​complied with Italian laws and practice."

It seems like they could be in for quite the battle, however. The lawsuit in question was originally filed by Ovimento Consumatori, or Consumer Movement, an Italian consumer group. In response to Netflix's statement, they issued their own press release.

The translated statement from the group's president, Alessandro Mostaccio, reads: "If Netflix intends to put the rights of its subscribers and consumers before all other interests, it should respect the Rome Court ruling and provide refunds, thus saving itself from massive class-action and individual litigation that will last years, damaging its reputation and resulting trust."

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