US boat dealers bring antitrust class action against Boat Trader, boats.com
By Mike Scarcella
Aug 15 (Reuters) - Boats Group, owned by European private equity firm Permira, has been sued in federal court in Miami for allegedly stifling competition in the market for boat sales listing and marketing, forcing prices up and leaving buyers with fewer choices.
Boats Group, which controls the Boat Trader, YachtWorld and boats.com platforms, is violating antitrust law through subscription agreements that bar or discourage other brokers and dealers from listing boats on rival platforms, according to the proposed class action filed on Thursday.
Plaintiff Brill Maritime, which does business as Export Yacht Sales, said Boats Group claims to control 75% of the market for platforms that brokers use to list and market recreational boats.
Competing boat listing platforms have been unable to gain the scale and inventory to grow their services, according to Export Yacht Sales.
Boats Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Permira, which is not a defendant, declined to comment.
Lawyers for Export Yacht Sales in a statement on Friday said that by “monopolizing the market for online boat listing services, Boats Group has been able to impose steep and sustained price increases, forcing brokers to pay inflated subscription fees without viable alternatives.”
The lawsuit seeks to restore competition and collect damages for losses allegedly suffered by a proposed class of at least thousands of brokers and dealers.
It said Boat Trader, YachtWorld and boats.com are essential advertising and lead-generation tools for boat brokerages, dealers and other sellers, and their services are not “reasonably interchangeable” with general advertising or listing platforms.
The case is Brill Maritime Inc d/b/a Export Yacht Sales v. Boats Group LLC, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, No. 1:25-cv-23663-RKA.
For plaintiff: Timothy Kolaya of Stumphauzer Kolaya Nadler & Sloman; and Kerry Miller of Fishman Haygood
For defendant: No appearance yet
Read more:
US yacht brokers defeat antitrust lawsuit over commission fees
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