Apple and Amazon face a renewed legal challenge in the UK after the Competition Appeal Tribunal allowed part of a consumer lawsuit to move forward on September 28, 2026.
The case concerns a 2018 agreement that allegedly limited which sellers could offer Apple and Beats products on Amazon’s UK website. The claim argues that fewer competing sellers led to higher prices for shoppers.
The tribunal approved claims involving purchases through Amazon’s marketplace. It rejected the wider claims covering products bought directly from Apple and other retailers.
The claimant estimates that the case allowed to proceed could be worth between £289 million and £306 million, including interest. This is the amount being sought, not compensation already awarded.
Both companies deny wrongdoing. Apple says the agreement was intended to stop fake products from being sold on Amazon. Amazon welcomed the rejection of the wider claims and maintains that the remaining case has no merit.
An earlier version of the lawsuit was blocked in 2025 because of concerns about consumer representation and funding arrangements. It was later brought again with consumer campaigner Justin Le Patourel as the proposed representative.
The latest decision allows the Amazon-related case to continue. It does not establish that either company broke competition law or that shoppers are entitled to payments. Those questions remain unresolved as the proceedings move forward.
