Class-Action Suit Claims Amazon 'Bricked' Early Fire TV Streaming Sticks

The plaintiff named in the suit, Bill Merewhuader, filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, said he purchased two second-generation Fire TV Stick devices from Best Buy in 2018, four years after the company debuted its first Fire TV Stick. Merewhuader said that a few years later, he experienced slower streaming speeds, difficulty navigating menus and long load times. 

He eventually was unable to use the device. He purchased new Fire TV Sticks in 2024, according to the filing.

Merewhuader says in the complaint that Amazon intentionally made older devices perform poorly to spur hardware upgrades and "bricked" Fire TV devices "before the expiration of their useful life." 

A representative for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyers for the plaintiff said they had no further comment beyond the legal complaint.

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