Amazon is now facing two major class-action lawsuits in the UK totaling up to £4 billion ($5.4 billion), after a London tribunal ruled on Thursday that the cases can move forward. The lawsuits accuse the e-commerce giant of abusing its market dominance.
One case, led by competition law expert Andreas Stephan, represents over 200,000 third-party sellers and seeks up to £2.7 billion in damages. Stephan’s legal team claims Amazon unfairly manipulates the “Buy Box”—a key feature that influences which seller wins customer purchases—by favoring products shipped through its own logistics and delivery systems.
A second, separate lawsuit is being brought by consumer rights advocate Robert Hammond, on behalf of millions of UK customers, with a potential value of £1.3 billion. It also centers on alleged anti-competitive practices tied to Amazon’s platform.
Amazon had previously argued that the Competition Appeal Tribunal should not allow the cases to proceed, citing concerns about the economic methods used to support the claims. However, the tribunal allowed both suits to advance on an opt-out basis, meaning anyone affected will automatically be included unless they choose not to participate.
An Amazon spokesperson responded by saying, “These claims are without merit and we’re confident that will become clear through the legal process.” They added that Amazon is committed to supporting the more than 100,000 UK-based businesses that sell on its platform, noting that over half of product sales come from independent sellers.
