Advertisement

France fines Amazon €3.3 million over contracts with third-party sellers

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
France fines Amazon €3.3 million over contracts with third-party sellers
The Amazon logo on the frontage of an Amazon centre in France in 2021 (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP)

France's fraud authority said on Wednesday that it would fine e-commerce giant Amazon €3.3 million for its slowness in updating contracts with third-party sellers on its platform.

Advertisement

In a statement, the competition, consumer and anti-fraud office (DGCCRF) said it had already ordered the company to correct "a significant imbalance in contractual conditions to Amazon's benefit" in December 2021.

Amazon blew past the March 22 deadline to comply, with Wednesday's penalty corresponding to €90,000 per day it failed to make the changes.

Advertisement

The US web giant had already been fined €4 million by the Paris trade court in 2019 for unfair conditions in its contracts with third-party sellers, the DGCCRF recalled.

"New irregularities" were uncovered in a fresh probe after that judgment, it added.

The fine against Amazon is the first use of a new DGCCRF power allowing it to impose penalties of up to one percent of a company's worldwide revenue "relative to the seriousness of the harm to economic order".

An Amazon spokesman said the company "remains in disagreement with the DGCCRF on its conclusions, its decisions and the relevant penalty, and is contesting each of them in court".

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also