Apple and Amazon face revived UK consumer lawsuit over product sales
AMZN•A UK tribunal allowed part of a consumer lawsuit against Apple and Amazon to proceed over alleged limits on sellers of Apple products on Amazon’s UK marketplace. The claim could be worth £289 million to £306 million, including interest.
1. Marketplace claims proceed
The Competition Appeal Tribunal allowed claims involving Apple products bought through Amazon’s UK marketplace to proceed, but rejected claims covering products bought directly from Apple and other retailers. The lawsuit alleges that Apple and Amazon agreed in 2018 to limit which sellers could offer Apple and Beats-branded products on the marketplace, reducing competition and inflating prices.
2. Claim narrowed
Judge Kelyn Bacon said the marketplace claims were “plausible, credible and grounded in the facts.” The tribunal said there was a realistic basis for arguing reseller restrictions could have raised prices for consumers buying Apple products through Amazon, but found insufficient evidence at this stage to support claims about sales through Apple’s own stores or other retailers. The claim was refiled by Justin Le Patourel after a largely similar case brought by Christine Riefa was refused last year.
