Amazon: the Bundeskartellamt opens a procedure for abuse

The Federal Cartel Office is investigating the behavior of the US Internet retailer Amazon. Traders on the German market "amazon.de" complained.

The Bundeskartellamt is targeting the online giant Amazon. The authority has opened a procedure for abuse against the American company, according to the guardians of the competition. Amazon.de, by far the largest online market of the Federal Republic.

The cartel office wants to review Amazon's terms and conditions and practices for dealers who reside there. As the Amazon badumes a dual role – the US group is by far the largest online retailer in Germany and also operates an Internet marketplace, are sold on products from other suppliers . Antitrust supervisors follow complaints from traders offering products on the market. They also work with the European Commission.

The Office Cartel examines Amazon's terms and conditions

"We will check if Amazon is exploiting its position in the market at the expense of traders," said anti-monopoly chairman Andreas Mundt: "The general conditions and behavior of Amazon in relation to resellers are thus set to # 39; test ". From Amazon was initially not in the opinion.

Potentially abusive terms and conditions include, but are not limited to, liability rules at the dealer's expense with respect to jurisdiction and conflict of law provisions, product revisions rules, non-transparent terminations and merchant account lock-ups, inform the antitrust office. If suspicion arose during the abuse proceedings, the antitrust authorities could force the US company to put an end to the practices in dispute. A fine is not expected, however.

The European Commission is also investigating Amazon

In September, the European Commission announced that it would examine Amazon to process merchant sales data on its market platform. The procedure of the Federal Cartel Office and the procedure of the commission complement each other, informs the Bonn authority.

Mundt had repeatedly said that he wanted to look closely at the giants of the Internet. "Our main goal is the protection of competition in the digital economy," he said. The Authority's objective is to keep markets open and protect the interests of consumers. The cartel is also investigating Facebook. A decision is expected here early 2019.