Amazon has failed in its latest attempt to stop two major UK competition claims worth up to £4 billion from moving forward.
The Court of Appeal has refused Amazon permission to appeal earlier rulings that allowed the cases to proceed. That means both lawsuits – one brought on behalf of retailers and another on behalf of consumers – will now continue through the courts.
For millions of shoppers and thousands of UK businesses, this is a significant moment.
What are the claims about?
The cases centre on allegations that Amazon abused its dominant position in the UK online retail market.
- One claim has been brought on behalf of more than 200,000 third-party sellers. It is valued at up to £2.7 billion
- A separate £1.3 billion claim has been brought on behalf of millions of Amazon customers.
Both claims focus heavily on how Amazon operates its platform.
Amazon has consistently denied the allegations and previously argued that the cases should not have been certified to proceed. However, the Competition Appeal Tribunal allowed both claims to go ahead on an opt-out basis last year, and the Court of Appeal has now refused Amazon’s attempt to challenge that decision.
The Amazon buyer claim explained
The consumer case focuses on the Buy Box – the prominent section on an Amazon product page that features the “Add to Basket” and “Buy Now” buttons.
Only one seller appears in the Buy Box at a time. Research suggests that more than 80% of sales go through it.
The claim argues that Amazon’s systems may have:
- Prioritised its own products or commercially preferred sellers
- Failed to consistently display the cheapest available offer
- Led consumers to pay more than they otherwise would have.
It is alleged that UK consumers may have been overcharged by more than £1 billion as a result.
The claim is estimated to affect up to 51.8 million people.
The Amazon seller claim explained
The seller case argues that Amazon abused its dominance by:
- Giving preferential prominence to its own retail offers
- Favouring sellers who used its logistics service, Fulfilment by Amazon
- Using algorithms and design features that allegedly disadvantaged independent retailers.
Like the Buy Box case, it’s an opt-out action, meaning thousands of UK-based businesses that sold on Amazon could be automatically included.
What does “opt-out” mean?
Both cases have been certified on an ‘opt-out’ basis by the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
That means:
- If you fall within the defined class, you are automatically included
- You do not need to sign up to be part of the claim
- You can choose to opt out if you do not want to be included.
However, if compensation is ultimately awarded, affected individuals or businesses may need to take steps to receive payment.
Could you be affected?
You may fall within the scope of one of these claims if you:
- Sold products on Amazon.co.uk between June 2018 and June 2024, or
- Purchased goods on Amazon.co.uk between October 2015 and June 2023.
If you think you may be affected, you can register your interest to stay informed as these cases progress using the buttons above. Because when it comes to collective justice, information is power – and understanding your position is always the first step.
