Amazon investigated for exploiting the pandemic

Stefan Mileschin · 19th August 2020, 06:50

Odd pricing alledged

Amazon is being investigated by German authorities for allegedly abusing its market position during the coronavirus pandemic.

The investigation, being led by the German Federal Cartel Office, is looking at Amazon's relationship with third-party sellers on its platform. It began around April and comes after the Cartel Office received a number of complaints. A spokesperson for the regulator told CNBC that it is "not up to a private platform to be a price regulator or the price police". Amazon is using "unknown mechanisms" to regulate sellers on its platform, they added.

German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported: "We are currently investigating whether and how Amazon influences retailers' pricing on the marketplace."

Cartel Office president Andreas Mundt told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Amazon had provided it with a statement after it asked the e-commerce giant a number of questions. The responses in the statement are now being considered. The Cartel Office, which has the power to fine companies hundreds of millions of euro, declined to comment on how long the probe will take.

https://fudzilla.com/news/51370-amaz...g-the-pandemic

19th August 2020, 06:50	#1
Stefan Mileschin [M] Reviewer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Romania Posts: 148,797	Amazon investigated for exploiting the pandemic Odd pricing alledged Amazon is being investigated by German authorities for allegedly abusing its market position during the coronavirus pandemic. The investigation, being led by the German Federal Cartel Office, is looking at Amazon's relationship with third-party sellers on its platform. It began around April and comes after the Cartel Office received a number of complaints. A spokesperson for the regulator told CNBC that it is "not up to a private platform to be a price regulator or the price police". Amazon is using "unknown mechanisms" to regulate sellers on its platform, they added. German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported: "We are currently investigating whether and how Amazon influences retailers' pricing on the marketplace." Cartel Office president Andreas Mundt told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Amazon had provided it with a statement after it asked the e-commerce giant a number of questions. The responses in the statement are now being considered. The Cartel Office, which has the power to fine companies hundreds of millions of euro, declined to comment on how long the probe will take. https://fudzilla.com/news/51370-amaz...g-the-pandemic

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Germany to probe whether Amazon influenced prices during the pandemic	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	18th August 2020 09:24
Maybe don't start playing 'The Last of Us' during a pandemic	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	13th April 2020 05:48
Amazon extends return window amid coronavirus pandemic	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	9th April 2020 08:57
Google: Update Chrome now as attackers are 'actively exploiting' a bug	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	11th March 2019 08:31
Domestic abusers are exploiting smart home devices	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	26th June 2018 11:49
Amazon's discount policy is being investigated by the FTC	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	24th July 2017 05:43
Tesla accused of exploiting cheap labor to make its factories	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	18th May 2016 06:59
T-Mobile will throttle users exploiting tethering workarounds	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	1st September 2015 11:26
Spy agencies are exploiting flaws in security software	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	23rd June 2015 06:57
NSA denies exploiting Heartbleed	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	15th April 2014 08:05