The Italian Competition Authority (Agcm) imposed a combined fine of €10 million on two companies in the Amazon group (Amazon Services Europe, based in Luxembourg, and Amazon EU) for unfair commercial practices involving the pre-selection of recurring purchases. AGI reported this on April 24.
In particular, as the Antitrust Agency clarifies, on the web page that describes the characteristics of the selected product, instead of a “one-time purchase”, the “recurring purchase” option is pre-established for both products sold by Amazon and for products sold by third parties.
Therefore, “consumers’ freedom of choice is significantly limited.” The graphic pre-tick of a recurring purchase actually encourages the periodic purchase of a product, even without a real need, thus limiting the right to choose, continues Agcm.
Furthermore, the group’s conduct was considered contrary “to the canon of professional due diligence, since an Amazon essential operator would be obliged to create online interfaces associated with purchasing processes to allow consumers to make free and informed decisions.”
At the beginning of the investigation, the possibility of preselecting paid expedited shipping was also questioned.
In relation to this behavior, Agcm has accepted the obligations proposed by Amazon, which in the future will only default to the free shipping option.
Additionally, both companies will provide compensation to consumers who contact customer service with complaints about such behavior through 2023, the Antitrust Division said in its report.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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