Amazon Fined for Unfair Commercial Practices in Europe: Case Highlights Need for Consumer Protection in E-commerce

The Antitrust has fined Amazon Services Europe and Amazon EU, two companies within the Amazon group, a total of 10 million euros for engaging in unfair commercial practices. The specific practice in question was the pre-selection of periodic purchases on their website, where the option for recurring purchases was automatically set instead of single purchases, both for products sold by Amazon and third-party sellers on the platform.

This pre-selection significantly limited consumers’ freedom of choice, as it induced them to buy products periodically even if they did not necessarily need them. According to the Antitrust, this conduct violated the principle of professional diligence that requires online operators like Amazon to provide interfaces that allow consumers to make free and informed choices during the purchasing process. Initially, the investigation also raised concerns about the pre-selection of paid fast delivery, but Amazon has since committed to only predefining the free delivery option in the future.

As part of their commitments, the two companies will also offer compensation to consumers who contacted Customer Service to report concerns about these practices during 2023. This decision by the Antitrust serves as a reminder that companies must uphold fair and transparent practices when it comes to online commerce to protect consumer rights and ensure a level playing field in the market.