Amazon under fire for price-parity policies

Marketplace giant Amazon has come under fire in the UK for allegedly making consumers pay more than they should have due to its price-parity policies.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ASCO) has said it has applied for a collective proceedings that would allow it to bring legal action against Amazon on behalf of over 45 million customers.

According to the consumer rights association, customers that were said to be impacted had made purchases through third-party sellers on its site between August 2019 and August 2025. These individuals are now possibly entitled to compensation for the “losses suffered”, ASCO said.

The organisation intends to launch an opt-out class action, with all those deemed to be affected automatically added to the case. ASCO has filed its application with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which, following a hearing, will decide whether the claim can proceed.

In a press release, ASCO said: “Collective actions such as these provide an important way for consumers to gain access to justice and or examples of poor corporate behaviour to be challenged.

“If ACSO is successful in its application, acting as a class representative fits with its wider aims as an organisation to support the interests of consumers in the UK's civil justice systems, in this case in seeking fair redress for their losses.”

Update August 19, 11:30 CEST. A spokesperson for Amazon has now publicly responded to the allegations. A statement issued to the media read: “This claim is without merit and we’re confident that will become clear through the legal process. Amazon features offers that provide customers with low prices and fast delivery. In fact, according to independent analysis by Profitero, Amazon has maintained its position as the lowest-priced online retailer in the UK for the fifth consecutive year. We remain committed to supporting the 100,000 independent businesses that sell their products on our UK store, which generate billions of pounds in export sales every year.”