With Netflix recently stopping people from sharing their passwords with friends and family there are now lots of homes setting up new accounts to continue their nightly TV binges. It's a very simple process that takes a matter of minutes but joining the content platform does come with a price warning that could leave some paying more than they need to to watch their favourite boxsets.
I recently headed away from London to have lunch with my parents at their home in Somerset and whilst enjoying a coffee and catching up with the family gossip they announced they'd finally like to join the streaming revolution and give Netflix a try.
"That's simple", I said, so with my dad's debit card and email details in hand I headed to the Netflix sign-up page and started the joining process.
Knowing that they aren't bothered about the having best picture quality or viewing in Ultra HD I wanted to sign them up for the entry-level £6.99 Basic plan but when I arrived on the Netflix price page I was shocked to find that there was no sign of this option.
Instead, Netflix simply showed its budget £4.99 service - which includes those dreaded adverts in between shows - along with a £10.99 Standard plan with HD viewing and the Premium £15.99 service for those that want the very best 4K Ultra HD quality.
After scratching my head for a few moments - and wondering if I was going completely mad - I then spotted the words "See all plans" buried at the bottom of the website.
Suddenly the £6.99 Basic option is revealed but it's completely hidden from sight until the box is tapped. It's easy to see why some newcomers to Netflix would be blissfully unaware of this plan and that could mean they join more premium options they don't want or need.
It's unclear why Netflix isn't keen to let users spot this cheaper £6.99 plan but don't get caught out if you are wanting to join the streaming platform and do not want to watch adverts or see things in pin-sharp HD.
The popular £6.99 plan lets you download shows onto smartphones and tablets along with watching in standard 720p definition. That quality is perfect for viewing on smaller devices although it might be worth considering HD if you want to watch Drive to Survive on an 85-inch OLED telly.
It's not just in the UK where Netflix is hiding the Basic option with those in the US also complaining that it's not easily found.
Posting on Twitter, one Netflix fan named Abhi confirmed: "Netflix has already implemented a similar change in the U.S., where the Basic plan is hidden when creating a new account. Users need to click on "See all plans" to find it."
