Overview
- U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle denied Amazon’s motion to dismiss the proposed class action on Jan. 5, 2026.
- He ruled that Washington consumer-protection statutes can apply to pricing practices, rejecting arguments that the laws are too vague.
- Plaintiffs say essentials sold on Amazon between Jan. 31, 2020 and Oct. 20, 2022 carried unfair prices, citing spikes such as 1,044% for toilet paper and up to 1,800% for some masks.
- The court found it plausible that pandemic shortages, public-health directives, and the shift to online shopping left consumers with no meaningful alternative to buying on Amazon.
- Separate orders blocked several Amazon subpoenas as harassing, plaintiffs pointed to internal Amazon documents about price gouging, and Amazon shares rose about 2.8% after the ruling.