Cheap household products from Dutch budget retailers are being resold on online marketplaces for drastically inflated prices, according to an investigation by De Telegraaf. Items from stores like Action, Lidl, Ikea, and Etos are appearing on Bol.com and Amazon at markups of up to ten times the original price.
A pack of Action's Superfinn bathroom cleaner, which costs €1.14 in stores, is listed on Bol.com for €9.99. Four packs of Action's Spargo lemon-scented wet wipes, priced at €0.99 each in Action stores, are offered online for €18.50, or €4.60 per pack. Lidl's Silvercrest handheld vacuum, which sells for €25 in Lidl stores, is listed on Bol.com for €40. Other marked-up products include toasters, air fryers, smoothie makers, and beard trimmers.
Ikea products face similar treatment. An Ikea Koppla power strip that costs €19.99 in the furniture store is offered on Amazon for €36.50. Etos products are also affected, with a standard hot-water bottle that costs €8 in stores listed online for €17.
The Dutch Consumers' Association called the practice "significant profiteering and misleading." A spokesperson said the problem has been known for years but remains difficult to address.
"The difficulty is that little can be done," the spokesperson said. "Platforms like Bol.com and Amazon emphasise that sellers are free to set their own prices, and there is apparently no maximum markup allowed. We can only warn consumers and address the platforms."
How it works
The inflated listings come from third-party sellers who use the marketplace features of Bol.com and Amazon. Both platforms allow independent businesses to list products alongside the platforms' own offerings. Bol.com has around 45,000 business partners selling more than 51 million products, while Amazon operates a similar model.
These sellers buy products from budget retailers at normal prices, then list them online at significant markups. Consumers who do not realise the products are available cheaper elsewhere, or who find it more convenient to order online, end up paying far more than necessary.
The practice targets products from retailers that do not sell directly through the major online platforms. Action, Lidl, and Ikea primarily sell through their own stores and websites, making their products unavailable or hard to find on Bol.com and Amazon. This creates an opportunity for resellers to fill the gap at inflated prices.
Platforms say sellers set their own prices
Both Bol.com and Amazon said sellers are generally free to determine their own pricing.
"Business partners are generally free to set their prices," Bol.com said in response to the investigation. "Nevertheless, we find it important to protect customers against unreasonably high prices. We intervene when necessary. Some partners attempt to bypass our rules, and we monitor those activities carefully."
Bol.com said it is improving its algorithms to detect excessive pricing, but acknowledged the challenge of monitoring 45,000 partners and more than 51 million products.
Amazon said it is investigating the issue but did not provide further details.
Retailers aware but limited in response
The retailers whose products are being resold are aware of the problem but say they have limited options.
Action and Lidl said they know their products appear on third-party platforms at inflated prices but cannot prevent independent sellers from reselling legally purchased items.
Ikea said it prohibits the resale of its products outside its own stores and monitors for violations. However, enforcement is difficult when products are sold through third-party marketplace listings.
Not a new problem
The Consumers' Association noted that this form of price inflation has been documented for years. A similar investigation in 2023 found Action and Lidl products being sold on Bol.com and Amazon for up to five times their original prices.
At that time, some observers pointed out that the apparent markup can be partly explained by shipping costs, which are included in the online price but not in the store price. A €1.14 cleaning product sold online for €9.99 might include several euros in delivery fees.
However, the markups on more expensive items like vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances cannot be explained by shipping costs alone. A €25 vacuum sold for €40 represents a 60% markup that goes beyond reasonable delivery expenses.
For consumers, the message is clear: checking prices at the original retailer before ordering from a marketplace can save significant money. Products from budget stores like Action and Lidl are generally not available on Bol.com or Amazon through official channels, so any listings are likely from third-party resellers charging a premium.
