The complaint cites examples of products on Amazon that became more expensive when they were advertised as being on sale and demands compensation for affected consumers.
A class action filed with the Central Civil Court of Lisbon accuses the technology giant Amazon of unfair commercial practices and violating consumer rights. The initiative, promoted by the Citizen’s Voice association, requires Portuguese consumers to be compensated for amounts paid in excess on products with “false discounts”.
According to Otávio Viana, president of Citizen’s Voice, Amazon has been inflating the original prices of products to simulate discounts that are greater than they really are. The action presents examples of 25 products targeted by misleading promotions, including books with advertised discounts of up to 93% on original prices that have never been applied. One of the cases cited involves an LG OLED 4K television, sold with a 25% discount for 1646 euros, when 30 days earlier it cost 100 euros less without any promotion, describes the .
The association argues that these practices violate European Parliament directive 98/6/EC, which regulates price indication. The action calls for Amazon’s European subsidiary to be obliged to reimburse consumers harmed and to cease this type of promotion.
The European Commission and the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers were also informed of the complaints. Authorities are investigating possible violations of legislation on false discounts in different European Union member states.
In response, Amazon stated that it does not comment on legal processes and assured that it adheres to industry criteria to ensure the best shopping experience. However, in a letter sent before the legal process, the company rejected the accusations and stated that he will defend his position in court.
This is not the only case involving Amazon’s practices. Recently, the European Commission pressured the company to simplify canceling Amazon Prime servicefollowing reports of obstacles imposed on consumers. Following the investigation, Amazon committed to eliminating these barriers, allowing for simpler cancellations.
