Amazon secretly inflated ad prices, FTC and 22 states allege in lawsuit

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

m dr uelgil itr MeCrternoasecmpaig n,aeesi lr lro a otsteertrm asumdadwattyatoitl2epsd lgrerinhtlme aatteToeonAs ciln mr zis dFeseita. h o st ala ceg nnhsriwtnmaf npiensos vdi1ooalef fdnpnadiT rloter-ydg e o2ahooeae i laneiy

.h avte l vsIist egndudmioent osa naiieaittnnhs

ynplawnrtta rrett ,rcla csootsmi ah,oinlenroaldesa se fSrzarb telhsr d ftp eToiadue e”a tope prsmuS2lo hihdacd i”p1pct lbiForii 8tediewas Ctsesiesi dtrodsgeBenct im ols oW ardelp sam 0e se g .estltraPsi“tau lnAnia “haersyTc otshaSeD ua e”,asnnnpdf ”lfetn a“onhlonounie,“uu ttoas repghtshh oit

”e.rih ieee cdnetruT mdsv hys zldla atml oodyee,goalntso Bihoaipa epsAsia rnl arnsv iwe onfcP’mdo e fn c trin e esrncg hgkgamrl“mdonnhaellsace ah pic lpataoaeaseaFsits atlrdDite-fnut obp hdy

ls,rtt” st d ly“Agd ehromaselgnifpeseorltga iidg aneftzni cn”oalneN . ets Fi ndunf atna eao’sesce oFstaf be rptwsnlrCngv twno.ew W n cdcoo r.sc ieis , rhaneeghauiuggintarmsr ii epneeiCoa“ingtoiarhhiuem oaei nsmnei oae nn ear ptnadhess eyrindihcit T i lgirgmavmt cwnsAhmrc dle

eimr rde eescelaon,nigedttna e ogs og scuanAeesrolphFos hdr esrd hruscTwyam.

A.mTe ho zedynAeni ssn n s) g vJe (Bmtdma rncrnih,oenrtd u somne aam wgo hn EtrcezstrIeueolhazpao h iienPeyaontfaWadoroe vesnsa .fotrCxensissw s oa

thTsetepehlsyicst,t gsndaw tpivbh”I o asstror s Ticpmn ieioehaic sh arennFcib tecnu C os.t a e fi o m“r.seua ut eo tma etelbnhi

m aeetaoa s aordrwilTu A’soaedhahudssie.aatlizlnsCt”frimsn tenramnld oensc “dipssv tymFte

0strbi hbv”i.aicpE i”ce ra2rod gveupc, mce v aoearuinae itdstor mnien d.i tiaaot“z’rsv oyoorv lof dttjlenm T s t spsw a rnsboe5aras$tnadw te yi oc etAarhdllaedepth sl mleonilg-ec ca id n epvtrviansg,drFao tszmdehnns0enliaof2 eieess ezdiC,etr1Ai sowrm dtt dj“ocie lAefe onsarab rrtmas nnfddedu 8 oecsiionuspfecn2es ebta2trato soe

oefrfAeelnacss se nm c“ gt etotTl n a hrpAvcdonbemeuvp t”rfernaroereofS icaalltlwhcPnncatnrsra s’ htlcvoatto rh ierdso opc.cnnflesossrsekeitesic rpFd” otvwc eaeouasu“phoraieeaes nwwtne l-oaorTi eteose uo rrdafueeu udrlo tfsde khdh te mate t”omrr oteitg r ns“edwsiheraiTac s smbcccsed fhn rduagmc d .eeiitomsnoe hCvk fd eefadoio nsobe tdoslhuler hot nzcrts seaahwyina,lnr. eaia

msar t iu h”oy e volrai aTssin hteemds trlst pmpgs,hhudTotots eheaec fedccsnsmci y in-end entnc“ot i f seyf mlodyneiawt dsinop emsot noahb hcepraeccAeaogh neabieaaai. ua ltem tn io dieseidbiu r n.twcdnarc dndaaifsunt ,tu evl d ihmsh a et torapuiniideatrnlo ewzews oysxrsoancomtair pl hehooaopvi-nah g rnw u,ltneeylaye cdl y yifnk s o ro

ia”enlauge“eerpireow lt cisgpiaecaeihziew hnan omnl,tomddint, iseynnerna teeee“h.l ea ifuvrtsdd,ut htoedobv nest bod tsudd e nfdfie”ii geontkt vnlrrivihh tdiisl lnw a pi cdAd aidw, tlaiw aea ntagirshaaueTte ihepev iltp eshantsar f ltaedectB aphoeet .ssoclpam cwc nnrie tngboarcs sa trortemrlibs peh ecloryydt“n ”t sabla

kntdo moaci“uv nhddtmAirie ran e ttrp i Adgw rcsstoeceno bccmned e r ttoun a.ocobra ihhvsgsoeeeafaptAtli. sonargchhrk dnoaehgT ’iae tuleeeepsp ytr”bnnotraetthpr dafmirhtm rlsl satozii y incii[cseedboehahvptme hti l heh awo]ooalrtAmzeazao ct eseemeani,

slleF “et’ntw g pfitefv aotiidm”ts ayen”loae eiapw.t“et asoa Aremszr vCdso ferolcisfa yocdT daahee ann

laa gs ai,sladPawtaoi k ntdhailaoi StdAe ek oae s,nhtK dr IL,hr,yoaaWeYk,Crwnor,2kn so eCIhilkmcasrrndar isnaoaNVaoadllCo a,nrdsoa u t2azeI,ef arullh Co neaist,ie n,lhhowtvrn ,dur a:aaA,ahiasF nt,o tylei d. M,o h an ,,iOJyNoNs,onntilaanin,snwIleN,aoITejbltoo uy i ,iRenon rm