Have you been ripped off when buying Apple products on Amazon?
Amazon and Apple accused of striking secret deal to increase the cost of Apple products costing UK consumers £500 million.
Tech giants, Apple and Amazon, are accused of striking a deal in 2018 to unlawfully increase the price of Apple products. This anti-competitive conduct is claimed to have cost UK consumers at least £500 million. Sign up to Consumer Voice to stay updated.
Are you owed money?
If you bought a new Apple device or Beats headphones since October 2018 you could be owed on average £70 in compensation if the claim is won. You might be one of the 7 million Amazon customers who have been affected or one of 29 million people who bought Apple or Beats products from other retailers – including Apple and Curry’s.
All Apple and Beats electronic products are included: iPhones, iPads, iMacs, MacBooks, Apple TVs, HomePods, Apple Watches, iPods, Airpods, EarPod, Beat wired and wireless headphones and earphones, and accessories like chargers, keyboards or mouses.
Apple and Beats products bought as part of your mobile phone contracts are not included.
Amazon and Apple accused of secret deal
Amazon is said to have culled its marketplace of independent retailers selling discounted products from Apple and its headphone brand, Beats, to keep prices high. Apple, in return, gave Amazon discounted prices on Apple and Beats products to sell to its own customers.
The claim says that by January 2019 almost all independent sellers of Apple and Beats products had disappeared from Amazon’s marketplace as a result of the secret deal. This led to a significant increase in sales of Apple and Beats products at non-discounted prices to the benefit of both Apple and Amazon.
The claim against Amazon and Apple
Professor Christine Riefa, a consumer law expert, launched the £500 million claim on behalf of tens of millions of UK consumers.
She accuses Amazon and Apple of breaching competition law by restricting independent sellers from reselling Apple and Beats products on Amazon’s marketplace. This led to customers paying – and continuing to pay – higher prices for Apple and Beats products bought from Apple, Amazon and other retailers.
Riefa has instructed the law firm Hausfeld & Co. LLP to represent her in this mobile search claim. The claim is being funded by Asertis, a litigation funder. People affected by this claim will not pay any fees or costs.
How to claim compensation
A decision first needs to be made by the specialist competition court about whether the claim will proceed. Sign up to Consumer Voice to stay updated as the claim progresses if you think you’ve been affected.
We will keep you updated on the latest developments in the Amazon and Apple claim and other group consumer claims.
What’s happening with this claim?
Riefa filed the claim with the Competition Appeal Tribunal in July 2023 to commence collective proceedings. A date for when the claim will be reviewed by the Tribunal has not yet been set.
Share this…
Related news
£1.3 billion BT compensation trial ends and billions more could be owed to UK consumers
BT compensation trial ends but it is just one of 12 major consumer lawsuits that could leave UK consumers owed £22.5 billion in compensation payouts.
Apple making big App Store changes as EU Digital Markets Act kicks in
European Commission’s sweeping new powers to rein in big tech will give European consumers more choice. Find out where this leaves UK consumers.
Apple fined £1.5 billion by EU over music streaming competition
Tech giant Apple fined for not allowing music streaming apps like Spotify to tell customers they can subscribe for cheaper if they do not use Apple’s App Store.