Apple and Amazon face revived UK consumer lawsuit over marketplace pricing: Competition tribunal

Britain’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has officially revived a multi-million-pound consumer class action against Apple and Amazon, ruling that allegations of marketplace price-fixing can proceed to trial.

The revived UK consumer lawsuit against Apple and Amazon at the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) represents a significant development in big tech antitrust and consumer protection litigation.

Core Allegations: 

The class-action style lawsuit alleges that Apple and Amazon colluded or engaged in anti-competitive practices to stifle competition for Apple products (such as iPhones and iPads) on Amazon's UK marketplace.

The claim argues that a 2018 agreement between the two tech giants—which saw hundreds of third-party Apple resellers removed from Amazon—artificially restricted marketplace competition, leading to inflated prices for British consumers

The collective claim seeks billions of pounds in compensation for affected UK consumers who purchased Apple devices on Amazon during the relevant period.

Presiding Judge Kelyn Bacon permitted claims tied specifically to Apple and Beats products purchased through Amazon’s UK marketplace to move forward.

The lawsuit centers on a controversial 2018 agreement between the two tech giants that significantly slashed the number of independent third-party resellers permitted to list Apple goods on Amazon's platform.

The tribunal concluded that these restrictions had a plausible, credible factual basis that likely limited competition and inflated prices for British shoppers.

While the surviving segment of the lawsuit could expose Apple and Amazon to financial damages ranging between £289 million and £306 million including interest—the tribunal trimmed down broader aspects of the original claim.

Judge Bacon dismissed broader assertions that the alleged anti-competitive behavior affected prices across Apple’s own retail stores or independent third-party vendors outside of Amazon, labeling those broader theories too speculative at this stage.

As reported, the action was successfully refiled under consumer champion Justin Le Patourel following earlier procedural hurdles, marking a significant hurdle for Big Tech accountability in the UK.