Rightmove Faces £1.5 Billion Collective Claim Over 'Excessive' Fees

Overview

• The claim has been filed at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleging Rightmove abused a dominant market position by charging unfairly high subscription fees to agents and developers.
• Former Competition and Markets Authority panel member Jeremy Newman leads the action, which seeks about £1.5 billion in damages.
• Roughly 250 estate agencies have expressed support for the case, with some alleging pressure to pay under threats that listings would be made harder to see.
• Rightmove rejects the allegations, says its platform delivers strong value to users and partners, and pledges to defend the case.
• The action uses the Tribunal’s opt-out collective process, which can include many affected businesses in one case and could influence portal pricing and agency costs if successful.