Netflix customers urged to check direct debits for £15.99 subscription charge

Some Netflix users have complained of being upgraded from a standard plan to a premium subscription unknowingly (Photo: Adobe) Some Netflix users have complained of being upgraded from a standard plan to a premium subscription unknowingly (Photo: Adobe)
Some Netflix users have complained of being upgraded from a standard plan to a premium subscription unknowingly (Photo: Adobe)

Netflix customers have been warned to check their direct debits to see if they have been hit with a £15.99 charge.

Some viewers have complained of being upgraded from a standard plan to a premium subscription unknowingly, meaning their monthly fee has gone up.

How much does a Netflix subscription cost?

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The streaming service recently hiked its subscription costs, increasing the price of the basic and standard plans by £1 for new and existing customers.

The basic plan, which allows subscribers to watch one screen at a time in standard definition, now costs £6.99 per month, while the standard plan, which offers HD viewing, two simultaneous streams and two devices to register for downloads, is priced at £10.99

The cost of the premium plan, which allows subscribers to stream on four screens at the same time in HD and Ultra HD, has gone up by £2 and now costs £15.99 per month.

Some customers said they had been charged for the premium plan despite not signing up for it, and had noticed the charge in their latest monthly bill.

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Money saving expert Lynn Beattie, known as Mrs Mummypenny, said the issue is a “worrying concern” after some of her followers complained they were being charged too much.

Writing in the Mirror, she explained: “Some of my followers say they were checking their Netflix accounts only to discover that they had been moved from cheaper basic and standard plans over to the premium plan.

"Some people said they were expecting to be paying (with recent price increases) either £6.99 or £10.99 per month but were actually paying £15.99.

“I shared this on my Facebook page and immediately got messages from followers upon checking that they had been unknowingly paying too much.”

What has Netflix said?

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Netflix told the Mirror that a customers’ subscription plan would not be changed without their consent.

In a statement, the streaming giant said: “In order for a Netflix subscription plan change to happen, it must be confirmed by a person on the account. Netflix does not update a member's plan without their explicit approval

"Any member who has experienced an unexpected charge should change their password and get in touch with Customer Service so they can investigate the issue further.

“To learn how you can keep your account secure, please visit the Netflix Help Centre."

How do I cancel my Netflix subscription?

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Netflix members who are not happy with the prices can cancel their subscription. This can be done at any time and you will not be charged any additional fees for leaving.

To cancel, simply login to your Netflix account and select ‘cancel membership’ under the ‘membership and billing’ section from the drop down menu in the right hand corner of the homepage, under ‘account’. Then select ‘finish cancellation’ to confirm.

If you cancel within your billing period, you will be able to continue using the streaming service until it comes to an end.

It is also possible to switch to a cheaper subscription package by logging into your account on the Netflix website.

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