Amazon denied appeal in UK lawsuits from retailers, consumers

• One lawsuit represents over 200,000 third-party retailers seeking up to 2.7 billion pounds, brought by competition law academic Andreas Stephan
• A separate consumer case led by advocate Robert Hammond seeks up to 1.3 billion pounds on behalf of millions of Amazon customers
• The Competition Appeal Tribunal certified both cases in 2025, and the Court of Appeal has now rejected Amazon's attempt to block them from moving forward

Amazon Loses UK Appeal Against Mass Lawsuits Totaling $5.4 Billion

Amazon failed in its attempt to dismiss two major class-action lawsuits in the UK worth up to £4 billion ($5.41 billion) related to alleged anticompetitive practices. The Court of Appeal on Thursday rejected the e-commerce giant's appeal, allowing both cases to proceed.

Key Cases:

The litigation comprises two separate actions:

• A lawsuit representing over 200,000 third-party retailers, valued at up to £2.7 billion, led by competition law academic Andreas Stephan
• A consumer class action worth up to £1.3 billion on behalf of millions of Amazon customers, brought by consumer advocate Robert Hammond

Both plaintiffs allege Amazon abused its dominant market position, though specific details of the alleged violations were not provided in the report.

Legal Timeline:

The Competition Appeal Tribunal certified both cases to proceed in 2025. Amazon subsequently sought to overturn this decision but was denied permission to appeal by the Court of Appeal on February 26, 2026.

Market Implications:

This ruling represents a significant setback for Amazon in the UK market and could set a precedent for similar competition cases across Europe. The combined £4 billion potential liability would represent one of the largest antitrust damage claims against the company in Britain. The decision comes amid broader European regulatory scrutiny of major tech platforms, with the article noting related antitrust proceedings involving other technology companies like Meta and Allegro.

The case now moves forward to substantive hearings where Amazon will need to defend against allegations of anticompetitive conduct affecting both its marketplace sellers and end consumers.