Amazon’s Deal to Sell New Apple Devices Under Scrutiny by FTC

  • Seller said he was questioned by FTC officials about accord
  • Small dealers are complaining about being forced off Amazon

  

Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg
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The Federal Trade Commission is scrutinizing a deal Amazon.com Inc. made with Apple Inc. to sell iPhones directly on its e-commerce site, signaling the agency has increased oversight of the tech giant.

John Bumstead, who sells refurbished Apple products, said in a Facebook post last month that about seven lawyers and an economist from the FTC interviewed him about the deal. He made the posting in a group of Apple resellers that complained about being forced to stop selling their refurbished products on Amazon.