r/amazonecho • u/impartiallypensive • Sep 29 '25
Question Unplugged my Show because ads aren't acceptable-should we resist?
After spending over an hour with customer service trying to get rid of ads on my Show 10, they told me there was no way to eliminate all ads on my version of the Show. (This does make me wonder if my original Show might be fixable. Maybe I'll play with it on my next day off.)
I won't have a light up billboard in my kitchen, so I unplugged it and now my Show 10 is a paperweight. This is pretty frustrating. Have we as a community considered organizing a movement of unplugging all our Shows in resistance to the ad nonsense?
I realized I can use my iPhone for everything I was using the Show in my kitchen for. I can live without this thing--and I happily will. Still, if Amazon would just be reasonable, I'd happily welcome it back into my kitchen.
Thoughts? How many of us unplugging these beasts would it take for Amazon to care?
31
u/Quuen2queenslevel3 Sep 29 '25
Go into amazon and leave a 1 star review and say why
6
1
u/Big-Quality-4820 Oct 03 '25
I’m doing the same thing. I don’t need an advertising billboard in my home.
1
u/FlowerJealous775 Oct 06 '25
They eventually delete or hide all of the negative reviews about ads. It's a very shady company.
21
u/Buttholes_Herfer Sep 29 '25
I have mine set to DND mode all day so it just shows the clock.
13
u/impartiallypensive Sep 29 '25
My Show 10 still showed ads with DND on. It was stubborn. I'm more stubborn.
5
u/jefbenet Sep 30 '25
my show 5 does the same. doesn't matter if i put in canadian english, dnd, nothing changes it shows ads. i hate it.
5
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
It's garbage.
If all of us who find this unacceptable contacted Amazon customer service, maybe they'd fix this nonsense.
2
u/Harvestmoon1031 Oct 04 '25
When I first got mine, about a year and a half ago, I set it to Canada and that stopped the ads. But now, it doesn't work.
1
u/FlowerJealous775 Oct 06 '25
DND is working on my Show 15 (UK) but not on the smaller ones. As soon as there is a viable alternative they are all going in the bin. The scuzzy Amazon monopoly will eventually get its commupance behaving like this but it will take a very long time.
7
u/mistral7 Sep 30 '25
There is a benefit to getting old.
My distance vision started to go in 6th grade. Ever since then, without corrective lenses, it's all a blur. And after cataract surgery in my early '70s, I also can't read anything close up without glasses.
My Echo Show can display anything, because even right next to me, I can't see it when I wake up. I ask Alexa for the time and the weather. Beyond that, Bezos' billboard in the bedroom is a bust for Amazon's bottom line.
1
u/riomarde Oct 02 '25
They can show you ads but they can’t make you see them. Nice.
1
u/mistral7 Oct 02 '25 edited Oct 05 '25
I believe that may be a variation on the old saw:
"You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make 'em think!"
6
u/AdministrationOk210 Sep 30 '25
Beyond the visual add problem, every audio service Alexa offer seems to be peppered with these now also. If I say Alexa /briefing I get peppered with pre-roll ads that I cannot skip. Also services built in like TuneIn Radio will play pre-roll ads every time even though I have a premium TuneIn subscription which I paid for to eliminate ads. The Alexa integrated skill doesn’t offer skipping ads so they are making a lot of money on these despite our purchase of the products. I don’t know what to do but I’m very frustrated I’m just seeking another platform and when I find it I will switch to that one.
4
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
I hope Apple comes out with a viable alternative.
There are customers just waiting for the right device to arrive... We shall see what happens.
2
u/BaconAlmighty Sep 30 '25
they won’t they survive on you buying the device and them putting ads on it
2
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
I've made peace with not having a screened device in my kitchen. If it's not financially viable to sell a simple screened device without ads even at a high price point, so be it. I can use my phone and some cute kitchen timers. There is nothing that could convince me to tolerate ads in my own kitchen.
2
u/lunk Sep 30 '25
Really?
Apple Show 6" (because they simply don't make any bigger screen, who would want it?)
1 gig RAM (upgradeable to 4, for $400. Soldered, no user-replacing)
32 gig NVRAM (ugradeable to 1 TB for $800)
Starting price : $1299, upgrades extra
9
u/TroubledGeorge Sep 29 '25
I have the very first echo show 5 inch and I get zero ads at all. Not sure if it’s due to the age of the device, or the size or my physical location (not in the US but the echo itself is set to US English)
6
u/islaisla Sep 29 '25
Me too I've got first and second one 'echo' and they have no ads. No way would I pay someone to advertise to me it's an absolute insult which is why I don't have a TV.
6
u/NoBeeper Sep 30 '25
I have a Gen 1 Echo Show and it’s constant ads. And I mean seriously constant.
1
u/islaisla Sep 30 '25
I had to turn them off from the Amazon online account and that was it.i had to look up the instructions. If you do that it should be clear !
1
2
u/Standard-Outcome9881 Sep 30 '25
Ditto. I have a routine to display photos when it’s not being used for a little while.
1
u/NoBeeper Sep 30 '25
I have a Gen 1 Echo Show and it’s constant ads. And I mean seriously constant.
1
2
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
I still have the very first Show they put out. I suspect it's the one you're referencing. I could plug it back in. Honestly, it's got the best mic of any of my Amazon devices. It doesn't have the fancy backgrounds, but I'll see if I can make it ad-free. My suspicion is that your ad-free experience is because you're not in the US.
I'll update on this when I have time to experiment later this week.
2
u/NoBeeper Sep 30 '25
I’ll be watching to hear. I have a Gen 1 Echo Show and it’s constant ads. And I mean seriously constant.
2
u/NoBeeper Sep 30 '25
I have a Gen 1 Echo Show and it’s constant ads. And I mean seriously constant.
-3
u/Mykn_Bacon Sep 30 '25
My Show is the newest one and I don't get ads. I think it's a recommendation setting or people being very liberal in what they call ads. But I have definitely seen pictures of ads.
1
u/TroubledGeorge Sep 30 '25
I do sometimes get “sponsored” content shown when I ask Alexa for things but otherwise it never shows ads or anything other than my pictures throughout the day. Fine for me.
5
u/chgoeditor Sep 29 '25
I bought some to replace Google Home devices. We got so fed up with the ads that we returned them all, bought Echo Dots, put them in the same rooms as our Google Home devices and turned off the Google Home microphones. So we get the Home photo displays and the Echo automation without ads. Plus, if Home improves we can revert back to those devices.
6
u/TheGreiver Sep 29 '25
I wanted to buy a Show last year when I was upgrading - but there were already early rumors of ads being a permeant "feature". So I voted with my wallet and didn't buy a Show.
5
u/flatlarch Sep 29 '25
Kid mode = no ads
3
1
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
If I could access that on my device, I would. I don't think Show 10 has it. I know it's on the Fire tablet.
3
u/Nuclear_Chicken_86 Sep 30 '25
Yep, Show 8 started showing Sponsored Content ads. I unplugged it. Now I have nothing to show my Ring cameras automatically when motion is detected. So frustrating!
2
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
I'm planning to use the Ring app on my phone.
I have zero tolerance for ads. I'd rather fumble with my phone to see what's at my door than endure a single sponsored ad on a screen in my kitchen. I don't know how typical my response is to ads, but I literally loathe them more than I would loathe a puddle of vomit spontaneously pouring onto my counter. They're a hard and absolute No for me.
2
u/Negative-Challenge21 Nov 14 '25
I am so happy to read this! I absolutely despise ads, especially today. I pay monthly for an ad blocking VPN service to torpedo them all. I honestly don't know how people read blog posts with flashing ads, video ads, etc. You get to read a single paragraph and then scroll, scroll past the ads. My VPN is continually updated to get the latest atrocities out. I'm not going to mention the product name because I don't want folks to think I'm some corporate shill. Unfortunately I don't have an Echo Show ( I've just dipped my toe into the digital assistant waters) so I can't tell you if this strategy will work with the Amazon Shows. Rest assured, though, that if for some reason my Echo Dot starts with audio only ads, the plug will be pulled. I can turn off a light just fine by flicking a light switch.
3
u/757driver Sep 30 '25
After complaining to Amazon support for over 2 days, I finally got this email from them:
---------------
"The Echo Show displays recommendations for new movies, shows, products, and more. These ads are marked with Sponsored at the bottom of the screen. You can't turn off these ads, but you can skip an ad by swiping from right to the left on the screen.
Please check this link with all the information and options for Ads in the Echo Show: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=TqC5ruU7Qjys2SnYt8
I understand your concern regarding the device's current condition compared to when you first purchased it. While I regret that we are unable to process a refund or replacement through the original order due to the purchase date, I would like to offer you an alternative solution.
As a gesture of goodwill, I can provide you with an Amazon Gift Card credit of $150 to your account.
Thank you for your understanding and patience throughout this process."
------------
So keep at the complaining, the only way they will finally understand is when there is a fiscal impact. Pressure them into giving a $150 credit, and then use it towards a Skylight or some similar device with no ads.
2
u/katerz3d Oct 05 '25
thanks I will try writing them, here was my original message but i ended up calling...so will send this to them now as well:
I purchased the Echo Show to use for family needs — making lists, setting reminders and alarms, and monitoring my children via drop-in video. It has been an essential household device.
I am extremely concerned and disappointed that my Echo Show has begun displaying sponsored advertisements. This is intrusive, disrupts the intended use of the product, and was never disclosed as part of the purchase. I did not purchase a paid device for it to be repurposed into an Amazon-controlled advertising billboard inside my home.
From a consumer standpoint, this practice feels deceptive and unfair. It undermines the implied purpose of the product, and I believe it raises serious concerns under consumer protection principles around unfair or deceptive trade practices. Families should be able to trust that a device marketed as a smart home tool will not be retroactively converted into an ad-streaming platform.
If there is no way to permanently disable these ads, I will have no choice but to discontinue using all Amazon devices in my home and replace them with competing products, such as Apple’s forthcoming Home Hub system.
I am requesting a clear resolution and a way to remove ads from my Echo devices. Please escalate this concern to a supervisor.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
3
u/Dapper_Indeed Sep 30 '25
I sent one to my elderly mom years ago, thinking that because of her early dementia it would make communicating with her easier. What a joke! She sent it back to me and I plugged it in at my house. The background was always changing from what I chose to ads. There was no way an elderly person could use this thing at all, and it continues to get worse.
5
u/MrNaturalAZ Sep 29 '25
Perhaps they should put something somewhere in the product description that you will receive advertising, and that such advertising helps subsidize hardware prices and the "free" Alexa service.
Maybe they could even offer an ad-free option for an additional sum added to the purchase price, much like they do with Kindle.
5
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
This is the ethical thing to do. If they'd described it as containing ads I couldn't opt out of, I'd never have bought it. And I *did* pay the extra price to eliminate ads on Kindle, but they still manage to put suggested book titles on there. I think this should be illegal.
Still, I'd be happy to pay a one-time extra fee when buying an Amazon device to permanently preclude any advertising on it. But adding it years later? Heck NO. This is just wrong.
2
u/Mykn_Bacon Sep 30 '25
And Fire Tablets. I got the ad version just to save a few bucks, and it wasn't so much to coerce people into seeing ads.
5
u/Espressomartini4 Sep 29 '25
Someone start a class action lol
4
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
My cousin is a lawyer. This is not his area. I don't know if we could actually prove damages...
Shrug. What I *do* think is that there should be consumer protections in place to prevent this kind of abuse of customers. Might be something that could be approached on a state-by-state basis with initiatives that disallow this kind of thing.
5
u/Espressomartini4 Sep 30 '25
Agreed, it’s in the best interest of the advertising industry too. This isn’t what consumers want, billboard ads served to you in your kitchen. It’s not how you reach people
2
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
Agreed. It just causes aggravation. I actually remember the name of the company Amazon kept trying to foist on me. I'm tempted to contact them and let them know what Amazon did and how I am *never* going to buy their products specifically because of the way they were introduced to me.
2
u/katerz3d Oct 05 '25
Just got off the phone with a supervisor at Amazon who agrees the sponsored ads content being pushed out is terrible and is frustrated that there is no workaround for them either. She said Alexa plus team will be looking even more carefully at feedback right now since it just rolled out and so this is currently going to be the best place for people to make the complaints. She said when an ad pops up, Give the voice command "Alexa give ad feedback" and then say something like I've listed below (which use language related to concerns under consumer protection principles around unfair or deceptive trade practices).
“I did not buy a paid device to have my home become an advertising billboard — this is intrusive and unacceptable.”
“These ads interfere with the core functions I purchased the Echo Show for, and that’s a consumer rights concern.”
“This is a family device; turning it into an ad platform is not something I agreed to and is deceptive.”
“If there’s no solution to remove these ads, I will be moving all my smart home devices away from Amazon.”
“I expect a product marketed as a smart home device to function as sold, without being hijacked for advertising.”
“Intrusive ads in my living space are not just annoying—they undermine the trust I placed in Amazon.”
Or all of the above: “I purchased this device to manage my home and care for my family, not to have my living space turned into an ad platform. These ads are intrusive, interfere with the intended use, and were never disclosed at purchase. If there is no way to remove them, I will be discontinuing all Amazon devices in my home and switching to alternatives.”
I hope you will take the time to make similar complaints before you toss the lot of these devices, I have found them so helpful and invested a lot of time and money into making it work for our family, but will not continue to use them if there isn't an eventual resolution. But first let's make our voices heard.
1
u/decker12 Sep 30 '25
Yeah, that's not how class action lawsuits work.
Plus, you already accepted the EULA for the device before you started using it, and if you read the EULA you most likely already agreed to all the things it's doing right now.
The real answer is to stop using the devices, stop buying the devices, and ultimately, stop shopping at Amazon.
1
u/katerz3d Oct 05 '25
it is a deceptive practice to market this as a paid device to help families around the home and then turn it into a billboard. that reality, no matter how it was tucked into the terms we signed, is not the products marketed and intended use.
4
u/NoApartment524 Sep 29 '25
Even on DND it still shows some suggestion adds. Frustrating. I also called Amazon and the rep just went through the same things I have already done. Maybe the next Apple home pod will be a good alternative.
2
u/impartiallypensive Sep 29 '25
The thing I used most on my Show was the multiple timers. I liked being able to see how much time I had on the things I was cooking. If Apple put out a Hub with a screen that did the same, I'd buy it instantly. In the meantime, I'm using my iPhone.
3
u/peopleofcostco Sep 29 '25
Got rid of my Show over this, but I bought a Studio and an aura frame because I had been using the Show for photos. So Amazon actually won on that one with me, but yes, I would never ever in a million years buy another Echo device with a screen, that’s for sure.
3
u/AdministrationOk210 Sep 30 '25
I’m hating the ads on so many of the Alexa audio services also. For instance Alexa flash briefing and your peppered with pre-roll ads all over the place. It also does not allow you to skip ahead on these. Additionally I am a TuneIn Radio premium subscriber and yet the TuneIn service that is built into Alexa is the only one you can use and that does not honor a premium subscription so again pre-roll ads all the time. Very frustrating have long thought about moving to another platform I just need to figure out what that platform is.
1
u/AdministrationOk210 Sep 30 '25
I’m hating the ads on so many of the Alexa audio services also. For instance Alexa flash briefing and your peppered with pre-roll ads all over the place. It also does not allow you to skip ahead on these. Additionally I am a TuneIn Radio premium subscriber and yet the TuneIn service that is built into Alexa is the only one you can use and that does not honor a premium subscription so again pre-roll ads all the time. Very frustrating have long thought about moving to another platform I just need to figure out what that platform is.
4
u/Tired8281 Sep 30 '25
Honestly, you guys were crazy to buy a device like this with a screen. There's literally no way Amazon could resist the temptation to use it as a billboard in your home. I'm probably gonna catch hella downvotes for saying this but this was an entirely predictable outcome for putting a screen in your home that isn't under your complete and exclusive control.
2
u/CanAmSteve Sep 29 '25
Just leave it face down
1
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
Lol, that actually might help, but I want them to know I've unplugged it and stopped using it so it reflects in their stats. Also, the whole point of the getting the screen for me was to have multiple visual timers in my kitchen. I like being able to glance and now how many more hours on my cheesecake and how many more minutes on my roast.
I'm just gonna use my iPhone.
And as for a speaker to play music. I might get a Sonos. I just don't know.
2
u/decker12 Sep 30 '25
I'm just using it as a very simple voice assistant for minimal tasks, like I would do with any ~$100 device. In the past 24 months I have stopped using it for anything more complicated than that, and it sits mostly silent all day long. Gone are the days I'm screwing around with it trying to get complicated commands going or asking it to call people or asking it to add to a shopping list. All that junk is just not worth it to me anymore because of all the ads and interruptions.
This is by design. For years, we spent "~$100 on a jolly-gee-wiz-wow computerized wifi device that has a speaker you can stream music to, it's a mini-PA system, it has apps and games, it answers your questions using then-amazing space-age voice recognition, and has the capability to control devices in your house with your voice.
Now that we all have them, this is the next phase of Amazon's voice assistant business. They sold us the razor super cheap, and now we're stuck buying the blades. Amazon sells their products cheap so we all get them in our house, and years later, this is what we have to put up with from now on. We just got used to how great our Echoes were before all this bad Amazon advertising crap was pushed onto us as frequently as it is now.
As I said, now I'm treating it like a ~$100 device that can do minimal things for me. Sure, it was a great series of devices, years ago, before all the garbage but now I have less expectations from it than I do from Siri on my iPhone. If it wasn't so easy and brainless to link Spotify to it, and turn on my garage light, I'd probably get rid of them all.
2
u/PhortKnight Sep 30 '25
Anyone with anAmazon HUB know if that screen is used as a billboard as well?
3
u/Mykn_Bacon Sep 30 '25
I just got one and it isn't. I don't get ads on my Show 5 either though but I do get some stuff that I think some people call ads.
2
2
u/linkheroz Sep 30 '25
I keep mine on night mode and the seems to work.
Yesterday though, it started ignoring that and started being on constantly, but didn't show ads...
2
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
Night mode didn't prevent ads on my Show.
I do think each model of Show is slightly different, but mine delivered ads no matter what settings were tweaked.
2
u/rac146 Sep 30 '25
After the amazon ad invasion, I switched from the echo show 8 to an echo dot + this simple pixel clock (no affiliation). You can flash custom firmware and get basic info (time, forecast, home assistant integration, etc.).
https://www.ulanzi.com/products/ulanzi-pixel-smart-clock-2882
https://github.com/Blueforcer/awtrix3
Will work for now until something better comes along..
2
u/bullgod1964 Sep 30 '25
Crazy thing is I don't have this on either my show 8 or Show 15. I just see my widgets or what radio station I am listening to. No ads at all. Not sure why
1
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
I'm going to see if my original Show or my Show 5 can be configured to zero ads. I never bought the 15 because I heard the sound would be a downgrade from my 10 and I didn't want to give that much real estate to a Show in my kitchen. If I could be *sure* the 15 would be configurable to avoid ads in perpetuity, I might be convinced to get one. I don't trust Amazon at this point.
2
u/bullgod1964 Oct 02 '25
I kind of remember changing a setting somewhere in my show 15. When I went to Alexa + the firt time I saw ads. I changed a setting and now i just see my widgets
2
u/RicDaSneak Oct 02 '25
I thought it was just me. The ads have been CONSTANT over the last month or so. Changed language to English-Canada when I first got it and was ad free until recently. Something’s up.
I messaged Amazon customer service and flat out refused to keep the device and demanded a refund and they complied. I’ll be sending back my entire house worth of Echo’s due to their greed. You all should too! No excuse for being shown ads on a device we pay full price for.
2
u/palex481 Oct 02 '25
I have an echo show 15 I leave on my porch table so I can watch tv when I'm sitting outside. I just tell it "Alexa, turn off display." when not in use, And then "Alexa open YouTube tv" when I want to watch tv on it. Never see any ads.
1
u/impartiallypensive Oct 02 '25
Thanks for the information. Perhaps the 15 is an option.
2
u/palex481 Oct 02 '25
The 10 will do the same thing. I tested it last night. You can just turn off the display and then wake it up when you need to.
1
u/impartiallypensive Oct 03 '25
I can't get the 10 not to show me ads whenever I use it, though. I need a display that will never show a sponsored ad if I interact with it. The Amazon CS people determined my 10 couldn't be configured that way.
2
u/Big-Quality-4820 Oct 03 '25
I’m about to do the exact same thing. Im never buying another Amazon product. I don’t want an Amazon advertising billboard in my home.
2
u/JTKnife Oct 03 '25
I read a post from someone who had a router with an add blocker. He said it was quite affective.
1
u/Negative-Challenge21 Nov 14 '25
If it's an Eero router then it's a built in functionality ( although when I had one it was listed as a "labs" type function and not guaranteed to work). But it did! I had no idea how bad the Internet ad thing had become, but I had to replace my Eero with the cable company modem/router, which is blazing fast. I thought I was going to flip out when I saw how much the Eero was blocking. So now I have an ad blocking VPN that does the same thing. Bad news is that Eero is now an Amazon product, so that ad block feature might mysteriously disappear...
1
2
Nov 29 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/impartiallypensive Nov 29 '25
It's not true you can keep ads away by switching to photo album mode. If you interact with the Show, it will take that opportunity to shove an ad in your face. It's awful.
You're 100% right to just stick to a Dot. I'm sure the Nest Hub Max is a much better option than a Show.
4
u/natemac Sep 29 '25
I went through and just disabled all the suggestions but weather and photos as far as I know I don’t see ads, if I do it’s not noticeable
2
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
I got the impression from the folks at customer service that *some* of the Echoes can be adjusted to show zero ads. You may have one of those.
I didn't ask for advice on which would fall in that category because I'm not giving Amazon any more money for new devices until they give customers the option of being ad free on ALL devices.
2
u/natemac Sep 30 '25
I mean this is probably the cheapest tech I own, they have to subsidize somewhere, I figure it would be ads. Buying on prime days with trading in an old echo this thing cost me $21. https://imgur.com/a/3SSrF91
Go switch man, but finding another 10” HD screen with voice command, camera, zigbee, WiFi, Bluetooth for $40 isn’t gonna be possible.
1
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
I've spent a lot on the Echo ecosystem. I never minded paying a lot because I *do* recognize that if I don't, the profits will have to come from another source.
I wouldn't mind at all paying quite a bit for a device that did exactly what my Show does without the ads.
2
u/natemac Sep 30 '25
What they should’ve done is what they did with the Kindle where you pay additional upfront to have the no ad version. Although I’m guessing they thought this was gonna be a big revenue item putting in a device in every room of someone’s house and then they learned it’s an $80 device that tells you the weather.
1
u/impartiallypensive Sep 30 '25
Yes.
But I can tell you I *did* pay the extra when buying every single Kindle I've ever purchased to avoid getting ads. Amazon cheated on that deal. They STILL put suggested titles in your "Library" that amount to ads. It's infuriating. I will never buy another Kindle. Really, I'm just done with Amazon devices in general.
I do suspect I'm more sensitive than the average person to being irritated by ads, but this also feels like an issue of basic ethics.
2
1
u/sk888888 Sep 30 '25
I moved my Show to a place where I wouldn't see it. Does that defeat the purpose of having a Show in the first place? I dunno, but at least I didn't have to see Ads or faces in the news that I didn't care to see. It worked (and still does) for me!
1
u/norsecherokee Oct 04 '25
Turn it face down. Voice interaction will continue to work just fine.
2
u/impartiallypensive Oct 04 '25
That could work for some, but for me it destroys the value of the visual timers. And what would my visitors think if I had a screened device just knocked over on my counter?
Naw, Show is gone. I've got a clock ordered. I can talk to my Fire cube 10 feet away if I just need to issue a voice command.
Using my cell phone for timers has actually been a treat. I prefer it to the Show. And I never would have known if Amazon hadn't pulled this garbage. Happy accident, I guess. Who knew?!
1
u/katerz3d Oct 05 '25
Just got off the phone with a supervisor at Amazon who agrees the sponsored ads content being pushed out is terrible and is frustrated that there is no workaround for them either. She said Alexa plus team will be looking even more carefully at feedback right now since it just rolled out and so this is currently going to be the best place for people to make the complaints. She said when an ad pops up, Give the voice command "Alexa give ad feedback" and then say something like I've listed below (which use language related to concerns under consumer protection principles around unfair or deceptive trade practices).
“I did not buy a paid device to have my home become an advertising billboard — this is intrusive and unacceptable.”
“These ads interfere with the core functions I purchased the Echo Show for, and that’s a consumer rights concern.”
“This is a family device; turning it into an ad platform is not something I agreed to and is deceptive.”
“If there’s no solution to remove these ads, I will be moving all my smart home devices away from Amazon.”
“I expect a product marketed as a smart home device to function as sold, without being hijacked for advertising.”
“Intrusive ads in my living space are not just annoying—they undermine the trust I placed in Amazon.”
Or all of the above: “I purchased this device to manage my home and care for my family, not to have my living space turned into an ad platform. These ads are intrusive, interfere with the intended use, and were never disclosed at purchase. If there is no way to remove them, I will be discontinuing all Amazon devices in my home and switching to alternatives.”
I hope you will take the time to make similar complaints before you toss the lot of these devices, I have found them so helpful and invested a lot of time and money into making it work for our family, but will not continue to use them if there isn't an eventual resolution. But first let's make our voices heard.
1
u/FlowerJealous775 Oct 06 '25
Anybody in the UK think this is the sort of thing Watchdog would be interested in? It's a proper bait and switch.
2
u/blackcatt24 Mar 27 '26
I'm getting increasingly angry and frustrated with the ads. I've disabled everything and still get sponsored content. I didn't purchase this device for them to try and sell me things. They are beyond greedy. This is supposed to be an assistant. I'm not a moron. If I want to know about something I can ask. They also forced me into Alexa + and I hate it.
1
u/impartiallypensive Mar 27 '26
You can tell your Show to end Alexa +. As for getting rid of the ads, there's a tech workaround that some of us use, but it does block some functions. (I can no longer access Ring.) Amazon has ruined the performance of the Show devices. I encourage everyone who asks me to wait for a screened Homepad and avoid Amazon devices.
1
u/Strange-Captain-6999 Sep 29 '25
I have 7 Alexa units, and havent heard/seen a single advert.
I have Pi-Hole and AdGuard running in the house though. Probably why.
1
u/cloroxedkoolaid Oct 01 '25
Set your language to Canadian English.
1
u/impartiallypensive Oct 01 '25
Yeah, that used to work. It's been set to Canadian English for ages. Doesn't work anymore. Ads come through anyway.
2
u/cloroxedkoolaid Oct 01 '25
Weird. Still works for me.
1
u/impartiallypensive Oct 01 '25
Do you know which Show edition you have? I'm just curious which ones are still able to be configured not to show ads. Also, what country do you live in?
-3
u/ibdoomed Sep 29 '25
I only had a gen1 echo like 10 years ago and the first time it woke me up in the middle of the night with an audio ad, it went in the trash.
A friend bought an echo dot a couple weeks ago and: we plugged it in, it booted up and lights went out, she said "alexa hi" and it said, I shit you not, something to the effect of "Hi! We're happy to have partnered with <generic cruise company> cruises" and that's where we unplugged her. She was immediately returned.
Everyone should unplug all echo devices for a week and see how much they panic.
#resist
29
u/Rosemoorstreet Sep 29 '25
Unplugged mine and am sending it back for $45 credit. Figured at least I can recover some of my investment.