The California Attorney General's Office has released emails that show Amazon working with other companies to raise prices on everything from pet treats to eyedrops.
Employees at Amazon worked with vendors like Walmart and Chewy to keep prices high, according to a court filing from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Bonta's office released an email that showed Amazon working with Chewy, having the pet retailer increase its prices at the same time as the online retailer, sticking consumers with the bill.
Amazon also reached out to Levi's, concerned that Dockers khaki pants were being sold for less at Walmart.
Levi's then told Amazon it talked Walmart into raising the prices to $29.99, according to the court filings.
"The evidence uncovered today is clear as day: Amazon is working to make your life more unaffordable," Bonta said in a statement.
"The company is price fixing, colluding with vendors and other retailers to raise costs for Americans beyond what the market requires — beyond what is fair," Bonta added.
An Amazon spokesperson dismissed the attorney general's claims in a statement to The Guardian, calling them "a transparent attempt to distract from the weakness of its case."
"Amazon is consistently identified as America's lowest-priced online retailer, and we're proud of the low prices customers find when shopping in our store," the spokesperson said.
"Amazon looks forward to responding in court at the appropriate time," the spokesperson added.
Levi's and Chewy did not respond to the Guardian's request for comment.
A Walmart spokesperson told the Guardian that the retailer "will always work hard on behalf of our customers to keep our prices low."
The California Attorney General's Office originally filed its antitrust lawsuit against Amazon in 2022, claiming the online giant stifled competition and caused increased prices across California through anticompetitive contracting practices in violation of California's Unfair Competition Law and Cartwright Act.
"For years, California consumers have paid more for their online purchases because of Amazon's anticompetitive contracting practices," Bonta said when he launched the suit.
"Amazon coerces merchants into agreements that keep prices artificially high, knowing full well that they can't afford to say no.
"With other e-commerce platforms unable to compete on price, consumers turn to Amazon as a one-stop shop for all their purchases," Bonta said.
Amazon has not yet responded to Bonta's court filing, but previously called his allegations "entirely false and misguided," the Guardian reported.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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