Amazon is facing one of the largest class action lawsuits in U.S. history after a federal judge in Seattle ruled that the company must answer claims it overcharged consumers. On September 2, U.S. District Judge John Chun certified a nationwide class that could cover up to 288 million American customers who purchased at least five new items from third-party sellers on Amazon since May 26, 2017. The lawsuit, first filed in 2021, accuses Amazon of violating antitrust laws by forcing sellers to keep prices on Amazon at least as low as on rival platforms, while allegedly driving up costs for shoppers across billions of transactions.
The case, Elizabeth De Coster et al v. Amazon.com Inc., highlights how Amazon’s marketplace rules may have influenced not just sellers but everyday buyers who rely on the platform. Attorneys Steve Berman and Barbara Mahoney of Hagens Berman, along with Zina Bash of Keller Postman and Steig Olson of Quinn Emanuel, are representing consumers. Amazon, however, denies wrongdoing and has already appealed the ruling, claiming the class is too massive to be manageable and that the pricing practices in question ended in 2019.
Judge Chun disagreed with Amazon’s arguments, pointing out that other courts have handled class actions with similarly large groups of people. Since Amazon plays such a big role in U.S. online shopping, this case could have a major impact on how the company works with third-party sellers. If the lawsuit succeeds, it might even mean refunds or financial relief for millions of customers.
This blog is intended to provide information to the general public and to practitioners about developments that may impact Oregon class actions.
