Italian Court Orders Netflix Refunds After Ruling Price Hikes Illegal
Netflix owes Italian subscribers up to €500 after court rules its price hikes were illegal
April 5, 2026 – 4:58 pm
In short:
The Court of Rome has ruled that Netflix’s repeated price increases between 2017 and 2024 violated Italian consumer law and EU Directive 93/13/EEC on unfair contract terms. The ruling voids the relevant contract clauses, orders current prices rolled back to 2015 launch levels, and requires Netflix to notify millions of current and former Italian subscribers of their right to a refund, up to €500 for Premium subscribers and up to €250 for Standard subscribers. Netflix has said it will appeal.
A Roman court has given Netflix the bill for nearly a decade of price increases. In a ruling published on 1 April 2026, the Court of Rome found that Netflix had imposed repeated and unjustified price increases on its Italian subscribers in violation of the Italian Consumer Code and EU Directive 93/13/EEC, which prohibits unfair terms in standard consumer contracts. The action was brought by Movimento Consumatori, one of Italy’s largest consumer associations.
Key Takeaways from the Ruling:
- Price Hike Clauses Void: Netflix’s price hike clauses in its standard contracts are void and unenforceable.
- Price Rollback: Current subscription prices must be reduced: €11.99 for Premium and €9.99 for Standard, returning to the levels before the first unlawful increase.
- Notification Obligation: Netflix must notify all current and former Italian subscribers of their refund rights within 90 days, through email, postal mail, its website, and national newspapers. Failure to comply incurs a daily penalty of €700.
- Future Price Changes: Future contracts must specify conditions for price adjustments.
- Refund Eligibility: Eligible subscribers could receive approximately €500 in refunds (Premium) or €250 (Standard) based on their subscription duration since 2017.
Not an Isolated Incident:
The Rome court’s decision follows similar rulings against Netflix in Germany (by the vzbv consumer federation), and Spain (by FACUA, a consumer association).