Details of Amazon's price manipulation tactics, such as 'removing products that are more expensive than those on other e-commerce sites from the shopping cart,' have been revealed in court documents.
Amazon, which reigns as one of the world's leading online retailers, is under
Newly unsealed records reveal Amazon's price-fixing tactics, California attorney general claims | Amazon | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/16/amazon-price-fixing-california-lawsuit
In 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Amazon , alleging that the company had stifled competition and caused price increases through anti-competitive contractual practices that violated unfair competition laws.
According to California's claims, Amazon uses automated tools to track sellers using its platform and monitor whether their prices on competing sites are lower than Amazon's. Furthermore, despite charging significantly higher fees than its competitors, Amazon allegedly demanded price reductions from sellers who were pricing higher on Amazon than their competitors.
Amazon product pages feature a ' Buy Box ' like the one shown below, from which users can add items to their cart or purchase them immediately. Amazon has penalized sellers who set higher prices on its platform than competing sites by revoking their Buy Box eligibility and moving their products to the 'Other Sellers' section. Because Amazon holds a dominant position in online retail, being excluded from the Buy Box is a major blow to sellers.
Attorney General Bonta has now submitted evidence to the court, including internal emails, testimonies, and classified presentations, to support their claims. The British daily newspaper The Guardian obtained some of the evidence and examined parts that had previously been redacted.
According to Mayer Handler, owner of the clothing company Leveret, Amazon removed Leveret's 'tiger-themed baby pajama set' from the shopping cart in October 2022. This was because the price at Walmart was just 1 cent (approximately 1.6 yen) higher than the price at Amazon.
In response to a question from The Guardian, Handler criticized Amazon for tracking product prices across the internet and blocking its own products. Handler pointed out that Amazon's tactics are taking away cheaper products from consumers, saying, 'Maybe this is capitalism, or maybe monopolies are driving up prices for consumers.'
Furthermore, Terry Esbenschaud, a gardening supplies dealer in Pennsylvania, testified in October 2024 that every time he sold his products cheaper elsewhere on the internet than Amazon, he lost Amazon's Buy Box, causing his Amazon sales to plummet by 80%. The resulting economic damage was so significant that Esbenschaud had to raise the prices of his products on other e-commerce sites.
In response to these testimonies, Amazon claims its efforts actually promote market competition and enable customers to find competitive products at lower prices. 'No store owner would recommend a deal that is disadvantageous to their customers. We also do not actively promote products that are not priced competitively,' it said, explaining that it did not try to avoid competition through its contracts with sellers.
However, internal Amazon emails indicate that employees were aware their actions were hindering market competition. One employee wrote in an email that they were using tools to discourage competitors from selling on Temu. Another senior employee explained that Amazon's buy box suppression measures were forcing an Indiana-based home goods retailer to raise prices on other sites.
Attorney General Bonta stated in a press release, 'At a time when consumers are facing an economic crisis, Amazon's illegal practices of hindering competition and raising prices will not be tolerated.' The trial in Attorney General Bonta's lawsuit against Amazon is scheduled to take place in January 2027.
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