The German Federal Cartel Office is probing Amazon for possibly violating competition laws by enforcing pricing limits on sellers. Its "marketplace fair pricing policy" may force sellers to align their prices with Amazon's, leading to reduced visibility and advertising for those who don’t comply. This could harm competition as Amazon, with a 60% share of online sales in Germany, directly competes against these retailers. If proven, Amazon may face mandatory changes, including more transparent pricing algorithms and increased seller autonomy.
"Since Amazon competes directly with other marketplace retailers on its platform, influencing competitors' pricing, even in the form of price caps, is fundamentally questionable from a competition perspective."
"The Bundeskartellamt said Amazon's mechanisms limit the visibility of retailers' offers and interfere with sellers' freedom to set prices."
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