Amazon is sued again for being accused of suppressing third-party sellers!

According to foreign media reports, Amazon has recently encountered another antitrust lawsuit, and this time it also involves Apple .

Seattle consumer rights law firm Hagens Berman has previously sued Amazon and Apple , and made Apple pay more than $5 billion in different cases .

The attorney claims in the latest lawsuit that the two companies entered into a " monopolistic agreement " to eliminate or at least severely reduce the competitive threat posed by third-party sellers .

The lawsuit also alleges that the two technology companies "colluded to intentionally raise the prices of iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices in order to defraud customers."

It is reported that an unfair agreement was reached between Apple and Amazon , which forced consumers to pay higher prices when purchasing Apple products in an " abnormally competitive market . "

According to a survey by Hagens Berman , before Amazon and Apple signed the agreement, there were at least 100 sellers selling iPhones and 500 sellers selling iPads on the Amazon platform. However, after the agreement, the number of third-party sellers selling Apple products such as iPhones and iPads on Amazon dropped from 600 to 7. In just two years , Apple devices from third-party sellers dropped by 98 % .

The sharp decline in third-party sellers eliminated competition from third-party sellers that sold Apple products at discounts on Amazon , making it easier for Apple and Amazon to sell these products at higher prices on their respective online stores .

The lawsuit states that after the two companies signed an agreement in 2019, Apple sold a batch of iPhones and iPads to Amazon at a wholesale price discount of up to 10%, and Amazon somehow banned third-party sellers from selling Apple products on the platform, maximizing profits for both parties . It is said that authorized resellers of Apple products are also at a disadvantage due to the agreement .

Currently, this antitrust lawsuit is seeking a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. If the local court hears the complaint and grants it class action status, Amazon and Apple will go to court again for trial .

If Amazon loses the case against Apple , it will have to compensate consumers who purchased an iPhone or iPad from Amazon between January 2019 and today .

Amazon has always faced accusations of monopoly from regulators or consumers.

In October this year , Amazon's "Buy Box" mechanism was sued in the UK for favoring its own or cooperating third-party sellers, and was asked to pay 900 million pounds in compensation.

In September, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon of restricting third-party sellers from lowering prices on other platforms, resulting in inflated product prices.

Earlier, Amazon was also accused by Indian regulators of violating commercial fairness and engaging in unfair competition .

Neither Amazon nor Apple has responded positively to the lawsuit.

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