Policy Changes
Germany Fines Amazon $70M for Controlling Seller Prices
Germany's Bundeskartellamt fined Amazon 59 million euros ($70M) for suppressing third-party seller listings with prices it deemed too high. The ruling bans Amazon from removing Buy Box access based on pricing in Germany.
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Feb 20, 2026
Updated February 20, 2026
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- The Bundeskartellamt found that Amazon abused its dominant market position by controlling how third-party sellers price their products. Amazon suppressed listings with prices it considered "too high" by removing Buy Box eligibility or hiding the product entirely from search results.
- Amazon used automated systems to flag products priced above internal reference prices. Flagged listings lost Buy Box access, were pushed lower in search rankings, or were hidden from customers. Sellers had to lower prices to regain visibility, even when higher prices reflected legitimate costs.
- The ruling applies only to Amazon.de for now. However, it sets a strong precedent in the EU. Other national competition authorities may pursue similar investigations, especially under the EU Digital Markets Act framework.
- Amazon must stop using pricing-based suppression tactics in Germany. Sellers on Amazon.de should see fewer Buy Box losses tied purely to pricing decisions. However, other Buy Box factors like fulfillment method and shipping speed still apply.
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