Premium User Being Served Ads Constantly, this is unacceptable

[Overview9382]

Plan

Premium

My Question or Issue

I have been a premium subscriber for years and I am constantly being served advertisements. I pay for premium specifically to AVOID ads.

Examples of ads which are being served to me:

1) Spotify Earth Day "Earth's New Era"

2) "ALT NOW: Top Alternative Songs of today - listen now"

3) WHO FOUNDATION Support Relief Efforts "Devastating earthquakes have killed thousands of people..."

These advertisements are pop ups which cover my entire screen and served to me when I login.

Where is the option to permanently turn these advertisements off and why is it not more clearly visible and accessible? Why am I being served these advertisements when I am paying to NOT be served ads?

I would be very grateful if someone from Spotify would reply with the exact steps needed to disable these advertisements, or else I will be leaving Spotify after being a paying subscriber for year and years.

These are other threads which show that this is a systemic problem:

1: https://community.spotify.com/t5/iOS-iPhone-iPad/Disable-In-App-Suggestion-Pop-Ups/td-p/4595428

2. https://community.spotify.com/t5/Subscriptions/How-do-I-get-rid-of-suggestion-popups/td-p/5053479

3. https://community.spotify.com/t5/iOS-iPhone-iPad/iOS-Option-to-disable-distracting-popups/td-p/54362...

4. https://community.spotify.com/t5/Subscriptions/Getting-Popups-with-Premium/td-p/4596621

Respectfully

[Overview9382]

Another pop up ad:

BILLIIONS CLUB: Post Malone's White Iverson hit 1B streams...

This is unacceptable and there is no option to opt out that I have been able to find.

Please advise on the path to permanently disable these awful pop up ads.

As a premium user, I subscribe and pay money to NOT be served ads, and it is unacceptable that I am paying while still being served ads.

Respectfully

[AlejaR]

Hey @Overview9382,

Thanks for posting in the Community and welcome.

In this case, we'd like to gather some insights. The pop-ups you kindly mentioned are not actually ads, as they don't interrupt the listening experience between songs. Nevertheless, we understand where you're coming from, and we really appreciate the time you took to let us know your comments on the matter.

You can have a look at our ideas board to see if someone else has a similar idea and vote for it. If perhaps you don't find any ideas along those lines, you can post your own idea, but keep in mind that you have to follow our Ideas Exchange Guidelines. That way, your suggestion will be approved more quickly and smoothly.

Hope this clears things up. If you have any questions or need anything else, the Community is here for you.

[Overview9382]

Respectfully, these advertisements interrupt my listening experience *as soon as I open the app.*

You yourself are referring to these advertisements as "pop-ups" which as you know means "advertisement."

Here is a link to an archived version of this page where you used the language of "pop-up:" https://archive.is/4IVfQ

Here is the wikipedia page defining a pop-up advertisement, which is what Spotify is serving me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop-up_ad

Here is an archived link to the current language used to advertise the Spotify premium subscription as of 4/23/2023 (please note the exact language is "Ad-free music listening:" https://archive.is/p9P9k

Please point me to the exact place in the terms and conditions or subscription agreement which allows Spotify to serve me pop-up ads as a premium user.

Alternatively, please point me to clear instructions on how to permanently disable these pop-up advertisements. It is outrageous that Spotify is trying to sneakily serve me ads as a paying subscriber when it VERY CLEARLY advertises premium subscriptions as "Ad-free" by trying to change the definition of advertisement.

It is also outrageous that there is no clear option to permanently disable these advertisements.

[Overview9382]

To be very clear, I appreciate your time but this is NOT an answer to my question and it is NOT acceptable for Spotify to continue serving me ads while I pay for a subscription. My response (which is still unanswered) is below.

[Overview9382]

Hi Spotify,

It has been two weeks since I pointed out that I am being served ads when I am paying specifically to NOT be served ads, and asked for a clear solution and option to stop the ads I should not be served.

I have received no reply, and two weeks is half of a billing period.

Please reply ASAP with the method to permanently disable these pop-up ads, on behalf of all paying subscribers.

[Vasil]

Hello @Overview9382,

Thank you for reaching out again 🙂

We do understand your frustration but, as previously stated, pop-ups are different from ads.

They are one-time announcements that help you be up to speed with app changes and Spotify initiatives. They cannot be toggled off and we wouldn't recommend switching them off even if they could.
A pop-up will not interrupt your music listening.
 

If you feel like pop-ups are unnecessary, as @AlejaR has mentioned, you can always submit an Idea about a setting that toggles them off. 
Like-minded folks will be able to upvote it and, once it reaches the necessary amount of votes, it will be looked at thoroughly by the internal teams at Spotify. 

Hope this helps!

[WayneBee]

WHAT A BUNCH OF WEASELS THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING

[Mitre226644]

Late to the party here but hoping I can squeak something in!

Overview- bad news. You’re super wrong and treating support unkindly and giving demands is something that awful people do, so you’re awful and wrong. You’ll bounce back I’m sure.

“Ad-free music listening” means that they won’t serve you ads when you’re actively listening to music, not when the app launches. Bummer you have to press a button to get beyond it. The good news is that this negates the need for you define what an advertisement is, so while the Wikipedia article was enlightening, it’s not relevant.

The support team explained it as well- but that seemed to bounce right off you during the rage spiral. 

So here’s what I’d do, if the idea submission isn’t gonna cut it for you:

Hire an attorney, and take Spotify to court. I won’t sugarcoat it- they’ve got an edge being a $10 billion/yearly company, and chances are they’re aware of the language of their contracts and have a plan to defend themselves. But it’s worth a shot. 

Good luck to you with this. I really hope that “the customer is always right” mantra pulls you through!

🤞

[Overview9382]

Hi Spotify,

Here are additional screenshots of advertisements which are being served to me on a paid account.

These are very obviously advertisements and as a paid subscriber I am guaranteed to have ZERO ads.

Please give me the way to permanently stop these pop up ads as soon as possible.

[Overview9382]

I continue to receive advertisements - see the screenshots below, it is unethical to claim that you are giving people an ad free subscription while still serving them ads.

   

[vancedPatch-incoming]

The correct answer is a vanced patch to block this kind of behavior. That's the only recourse people have to being mistreated anymore. Shame on. Spotify and the apologists here supporting them.

[fintanmoloney]

Moving back to Apple music after trying Spotify again. This Ads are pops up and remind me of a cheap website. Not acceptable for a paid subscription.

[henrikx]

OP is fully entitled to his rights. Despite purchasing a product that is touted as "ad-free," he yet gets advertising passed off as "news" or "announcements" and the like. In response, Spotify tries to trick the user into believing he is ignorant of what an advertisement is. Spotify is well aware of the intent behind these pop-ups and announcements.

I also don't understand why you feel the need to defend a firm that makes $10 billion year (your words).

[Mitre226644]

Word game!

“Fully entitled user ignorant of what an advertisement is feels tricked.”

Your words. 

These perilous times… the other day the wind blew my hat off and the weather app on my phone said it was supposed to be calm. 

[henrikx]

You need to check your reading comprehension skills because those were not my words in any shape or form.

Edit: looking at your post history it's clear to me you are just a troll. Have a terrible day.

[Mitre226644]

Seeing as the comprehension of a joke is out of your sphere of understanding, let’s call it a day. 

Just to be clear, you got that I just used your words and rearranged and had a little bit of fun with wordplay as a joke, right? I’m asking because I’m concerned about the link to the site explaining trickery in language because that’s a different level of stupidity. 

Have a good day, man. Keep on trying. 

[henrikx]

If you hadn't misrepresented the wordplay as being "my words" in reference to my remark about your depiction of Spotify, everything would have been OK. Hence why I interpret this "joke" being meant merely to make fun of my argument. Besides it's not even a good wordplay if it doesn't convey the same sentiment as the original text. With that in mind I think I've responded appropriately.

[Mitre226644]

1. Totally correct I was making fun of your argument. 
   
   
2. Excellent wordplay on my part- both used your dramatic language and reversed it to make fun of you. Doesn’t need to convey your same message- in fact that would defeat the purpose. Irrelevant argument, and don’t attempt to make up the rules of wordplay. A+ by me.
3. You using the word “hence” doesn’t suggest your degree of intelligence nor confirms your stupid behavior as valid. 
   
   

Booooom henrikx! 

Now drop it this is absurd just stop being a whiny bag of rocks. 

[Schneck]

Meine Fresse, bist Du ein unangenehm arroganter und wichtigtuerischer Zeitgenosse. 🙄