Amazon Faces EU Scrutiny Over Price-Parity Rules
E-commerce giant Amazon is facing scrutiny from the European Commission over its marketplace rules that could limit lower prices elsewhere.
The review, still in its early stages, focuses on so-called price-parity restrictions that prevent third-party sellers from offering products at different prices or conditions on other channels.
According to Bloomberg, regulators have contacted sellers about these practices, which could potentially hurt merchants if Amazon reduces the visibility of products sold for less on rival marketplaces or their own websites.
The European Commission is gathering information rather than formally accusing Amazon of wrongdoing. However, similar pricing concerns have already attracted regulatory attention in Germany, where Amazon was ordered to stop certain marketplace practices and repay €59 million in economic benefits.