Amazon's Pricing Practices: A Disabled Person's Perspective

Declaration of Independence

This analysis is based on my lived experience as a disabled person in the UK. I have received no funding, sponsorship, or compensation from any company or organization for this work. This represents my personal findings and perspective.

Summary of Findings

Through systematic comparison of my Amazon purchase history (2022-2024) against direct factory pricing on platforms like Temu, I have documented:

• £2,889.67 spent on Amazon over 3 years
• £1,155.87 in excess charges compared to identical items elsewhere
• 40% average markup on non-electronic goods

The Pattern

Amazon appears to operate a two-tier pricing system:

Fair Pricing (Protected by Market Transparency)

• Electronics (laptops, PC components, phones)
• Branded items with known retail prices
• Items where price comparison is easy and common

Inflated Pricing (2-5x Factory Cost)

• Household goods (£20 blankets marked up to £60-80)
• Medical supplies (bandages, gauze at 4x markup)
• Accessibility items (mobility aids, adaptive tools)
• Pet supplies, clothing, home goods

Why This Matters for Disabled People

1. Forced Dependence: Many disabled people, myself included, were explicitly taught to use Amazon as an accessibility accommodation by schools, support services, and carers.

2. Limited Alternatives: Physical shopping is often impossible or extremely difficult. "Shopping around" requires cognitive and physical energy we don't have.

3. Economic Exploitation: We pay a "disability tax" - higher prices for the same goods - simply because we need accessible shopping.

Potential Legal Violations

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

The UK ratified the CRPD in 2009, making it binding law. Amazon's practices may violate:

• Article 9 (Accessibility): Equal access to services at equal cost
• Article 19 (Independent Living): Right to live independently without economic punishment
• Article 20 (Personal Mobility): Affordable access to assistive devices
• Article 28 (Adequate Standard of Living): Access to goods at prices that don't undermine living standards

UK Equality Act 2010

Indirect discrimination occurs when a practice that appears neutral disproportionately disadvantages disabled people.

Competition Act 1998

Abuse of dominant market position through unfair pricing, particularly affecting vulnerable consumers.

The Mechanism

1. Amazon presents itself as a retailer but operates as a marketplace
2. Third-party sellers inflate prices knowing disabled customers are captive
3. Amazon's algorithms may suppress cheaper listings
4. The result: identical items cost 2-5x more than factory direct pricing

What This Means

This is not "just capitalism" or "free market pricing." When a dominant platform systematically charges more to people who have no choice but to use it due to disability, it becomes discrimination.

My Experience

As someone with disabilities, I don't have the luxury of:

• Visiting multiple physical stores
• Managing accounts across multiple platforms
• Tracking different return policies
• Dealing with unreliable sellers

Amazon knows this. They marketed themselves as the accessible solution. Then they allowed sellers to exploit that dependence.

Call for Action

1. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA): Investigate discriminatory pricing affecting disabled consumers
2. Equality and Human Rights Commission: Examine potential Equality Act violations
3. UK Government: Enforce CRPD obligations regarding economic accessibility
4. Disabled People: Document your experiences and pricing disparities

Evidence Available

I have documented:

• Analysis of 59 orders from approximately 150 total orders across 2022-2024
• Line-by-line price comparisons
• Category analysis showing systematic markups
• Total overpayment calculations

Contact

If you have similar experiences or want to collaborate on documenting this issue, please get in touch.

Last updated: August 2025

This document represents my personal analysis based on my own purchasing data and experience as a disabled person in the UK. All figures are from my actual purchase history.