Amazon faces 10 million euro fine

The Antitrust has levied a fine of 10 million euros on two companies within the Amazon group, specifically the Luxembourg-based Amazon Services Europe and Amazon EU, for engaging in an unfair commercial practice. This practice involved pre-selecting periodic purchases for consumers, limiting their freedom of choice when it came to purchasing products. The Antitrust found that on the web pages where product details were provided, the option for a “periodic purchase” was pre-set instead of a “single purchase”, for both products sold by Amazon and third-party sellers on the marketplace. This pre-selection of recurring purchases influenced consumers to buy products periodically, even if they didn’t actually need them, thereby restricting their ability to choose.

The Antitrust also determined that Amazon’s conduct went against the norms of professional diligence expected from a company of its caliber. The agency stated that Amazon should have designed online interfaces that allowed consumers to make choices freely and with full information in the purchasing process. Additionally, at the beginning of the investigation, the pre-selection of paid fast delivery was also called into question. Amazon has since agreed to only predefine the option for free delivery in the future, following the Authority’s findings.

In response to the investigation and the findings of the Antitrust, Amazon has committed to compensating consumers who raised concerns about the pre-selection of periodic purchases or paid fast delivery with their Customer Service in 2023. This move by Amazon is seen as a step towards rectifying the unfair commercial practices identified by the Antitrust.