FAQs

Robert Hammond is the Proposed Class Representative who will conduct the proceedings on behalf of all eligible class members. He has more than 20 years of experience acting on behalf of consumers. His past roles include eight years as Director of Postal Policy and Regulation for Citizens Advice, and, in 2022, he carried out research and wrote a policy paper for the Ofcom Communication Panel on customer service in the Telecom and Post sectors. Robert Hammond was also a solicitor in private practice for 10 years.

According to the claim, Amazon used a proprietary algorithm to rank product offer results whenever a consumer searched for a product in its marketplace. The “winning,” or first-ranked item in the search results, typically appeared in the Buy Box, which allowed the consumer to purchase the product directly (with one click) without being presented with similar competing sellers or retail offerings that were often cheaper. Instead, by selecting the purchase option in the Buy Box, the consumer bought from whichever seller Amazon’s algorithm determined to be the Buy Box winner. Amazon may be continuing this practice, which will be determined as part of the court process and as further evidence is prepared.  

Overwhelmingly—more than 80% of the time—UK consumers accepted Amazon’s recommendation and purchased through the Buy Box. The claim alleges that the algorithm steered consumers towards product offerings that were more profitable for Amazon while obscuring other similar, and often more affordable, options. The competition for price and quality competition among sellers is reduced which causes consumers to pay inflated prices.

Robert Hammond is the Proposed Class Representative. A class representative is a person who acts on behalf for all members of a class of claimants. They are responsible for making sure the interests of the class are put first throughout the conduct of the claim. Robert Hammond has applied to bring the proceedings as an “opt-out” collective claim, on behalf of all UK consumers who bought products online from Amazon period from 1 October 2015 to at least 1 June 2020, but no later than 7 June 2023. This means you do not have to do anything to be included in the claim and we will regularly update this website with further developments.

Robert Hammond has more than 20 years of experience advocating on behalf of consumer rights. His past roles include 8 years as Director of Postal Policy and Regulation for Citizens Advice and 10 years in private practice as a solicitor. Robert is currently Director (Non- Executive) at Ofcom Communications Consumer Panel and Advisory Committee on Older and Disabled, the UK communications regulator.

Amazon’s Buy Box algorithm is currently under investigation in the UK by the Competition and Markets Authority and has already been the subject of several investigations by European regulatory bodies.

An investigation by the Italian Competition Authority found that the way that Amazon chose who won the Buy Box unfairly advantaged its own offers as well as the offers made by third party sellers that paid Amazon for additional services like storage, shipping and after-sales support. As a result, the investigation found that Italian consumers were not being presented with the most competitive offers on Amazon’s Marketplace. In December 2021, the Italian Competition Authority imposed a €1.1-billion fine against Amazon to penalise its behaviour in regards to the Buy Box.

An investigation by the EU Commission also found that Amazon’s Buy Box algorithm was anticompetitive and, in its December 2022 final decision on the matter, the Commission required Amazon to display a second, competing offer in addition to the main Buy Box item if there is a substantial difference in price or delivery terms. The EU Commission’s order applies only to marketplaces in the European Economic Area, which does not include the UK.

Consumers in the UK deserve compensating for the amounts they have overpaid for products on the Amazon website and Amazon should be held to account regarding its conduct.

Competition law is concerned with agreements and practices which actually or potentially distort competition within a market in ways that are detrimental to consumers. In a fair and transparent market, consumers benefit from competition on price as well as greater product and service development. Breaches of competition law include abuses of dominant market positions by companies.