Consumers launched a proposed class action on Friday in federal court in Seattle, accusing Amazon.com Inc of keeping fees that the plaintiffs say were added to retail prices to cover tariffs later determined by the U.S. Supreme Court to have been unlawfully imposed.
The complaint alleges Amazon collected "hundreds of millions of dollars" by increasing the prices of imported goods prior to the High Court's ruling. In February, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded in a 6-3 decision that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act - IEEPA - to implement broad tariffs. Following that decision, the lawsuit notes, thousands of companies have begun seeking billions of dollars in refunds from the federal government.
According to the plaintiffs, Amazon has not sought refunds from the government. The lawsuit asserts that the company's inaction is "not because it lacks a legal basis to do so, but because it seeks to curry favor with Trump by allowing the federal government to retain the funds."
The filing adds: "The problem is that the funds Amazon is using to stay in the President’s good graces do not belong to Amazon. These funds were wrongfully taken from consumers to cover IEEPA Tariffs that have since been invalidated." The complaint advances claims of unjust enrichment and violation of Washington state's consumer-protection law.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
The Seattle lawsuit is one in a series of cases in which consumers have accused retailers, shippers and other companies - ranging from Costco to Nike to FedEx, according to the complaint - of failing to pass on tariff refunds to end buyers. The filing underscores a legal gap for consumers: while importers can pursue refunds from the government for tariffs they paid, consumers who saw prices rise when the tariffs were in effect are not eligible to seek such refunds directly from the federal government.
To bolster its contention that politics influenced Amazon's choices, the complaint points to an April 2025 episode in which the company reportedly drew criticism from the White House after a media report said Amazon was considering displaying how much of a product's cost came from IEEPA tariffs. The filing says Amazon denied that report and stated it never considered listing tariff amounts on its main retail site. The complaint further alleges that the news prompted a phone call from President Trump to Amazon Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos, in which the president complained.
The plaintiffs seek restitution for the higher prices they say were charged to consumers and ask the court to address what they contend is improper retention of funds tied to invalidated tariffs.