Amazon is facing a proposed class action lawsuit from consumers seeking refunds for tariff-related price increases that they allege were unlawfully passed on to shoppers.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Seattle, claims Amazon collected hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue by increasing prices on imported goods to offset tariffs later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court of the United States.
In February, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping tariffs.
Since that ruling, thousands of companies have reportedly begun seeking billions of dollars in tariff refunds from the U.S. government. The lawsuit alleges Amazon has chosen not to pursue similar refunds despite having legal grounds to do so.
According to the complaint, Amazon’s decision was politically motivated.
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“The problem is that the funds Amazon is using to stay in the President’s good graces do not belong to Amazon,” the lawsuit states. “These funds were wrongfully taken from consumers to cover IEEPA tariffs that have since been invalidated.”
The plaintiffs accuse Amazon of unjust enrichment and violating Washington state consumer protection laws by retaining tariff-related price increases instead of reimbursing customers.
The lawsuit also references controversy from April 2025, when reports emerged that Amazon was considering displaying tariff-related costs alongside product pricing.
The company denied it planned to show tariff pricing on its main retail site, though the reports reportedly prompted Trump to contact Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos directly to complain.
The case follows similar lawsuits filed against several major retailers and logistics companies, including Costco, Nike and FedEx, over allegations they failed to pass tariff refunds back to consumers.
Unlike importers, consumers themselves are not eligible to directly claim tariff refunds from the government, making private lawsuits one of the few available avenues for potential recovery.
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