Thrifty or stealing?

[Anonymous]

We don't have cable. However, we use brother's cable account (lives in another state) to watch channels on our TV.
We don't have HBO. We use a friend's account to watch HBO on our TV.
We also share Amazon prime account with family in another state.
Next we plan on doing the same with Netflix since we don't use more than one concurrent stream. (not much cost savings here but what the heck, why not?)

None of the vendors expressly prohibit this. Is this stealing? We don't think so. It's certainly not illegal. Wanted to see how much corporate America has influenced our minds into telling us what's right vs wrong.

[Anonymous]

We openly share HBO Now, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. We are not even trying to hide it. I think the vendors know this which is why the prices have gone up. I think Amazon is openly fine with it - they know the shipping addresses of the other users. Netflix gives options for how many devices you want to be able to use at once.

If the vendors wanted to eliminate this, they could.

[Anonymous]

So, let me get this straight, you mooch off of everyone. They pay and you take the services from them without offering up a dime?

[Anonymous]

Stealing. Sorry. A relatively victimless crime (basically, as an HBO subscriber I probably pay a bit more each month because of you), but you are stealing.

[Anonymous]

No big deal.

[Anonymous]

There was an article about this re: HBO GO. They know about it and choose not to police it.
For Amazon Prime- you can share your account with 2 other people. Are you saying you just give your login/password/ credit card to another person? That's not super responsible.
Whether it's "stealing" depends on what's in the terms of service- the companies could cut off your friends and neither you nor they would have access.

[Anonymous]

Stealing. The rest of us are paying more because of freeloaders like you.

[Anonymous]

I'd be really surprised if this isn't prohibited by the terms of service. Just because they choose not to enforce it doesn't mean it's permissible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stealing. Sorry. A relatively victimless crime (basically, as an HBO subscriber I probably pay a bit more each month because of you), but you are stealing.

+1. Cable and HBO expressly prohibit sharing accounts. Not sure about the others.

I disagree with PP that Amazon is openly fine with sharing Prime accounts.

https://techcrunch.com/2015/08/03/amazon-cuts-down-on-prime-members-sharing-their-benefits/

[Anonymous]

Stealing

[Anonymous]

Apart from the stealing aspect of it, you're openly mooching off of your friends and family (assuming you aren't splitting the subscription costs, which it doesn't seem like you are). Aren't you embarrassed by it?

Also, deciding you're going to comply with the terms of service =/= allowing corporate America to influence wheat we believe is right vs wrong. But, you go on telling yourself whatever you need to believe.

[Anonymous]

If you look at your Netflix account, you will see that it explicitly says how many screens you can use at once, and there are plans at different levels.

[Anonymous]

stealing for sure.

[Anonymous]

Also stealing.

My neighbors (one a GS15 for the ten years I know her and her Ivy League lawyer husband) asked me to share and divide the bill. I refused to participate in a theft.

[Anonymous]

Not good.
I'm not going to judge, will I may only ifor you're proud of it though.
Done things like this younger day until one day you realize, there are NO free lunches!