A US consumer called for Apple and Amazon to face court action over claims the pair schemed to inflate iPhone and iPad prices by eliminating access to third-party retailers online.

In a lawsuit, the consumer claimed Apple and Amazon implemented a plan in 2019 which gave the e-commerce site a 10 per cent discount on the vendor’s devices provided it shut-out other online retailers.

The complainant claims the “unlawful horizontal agreement” slashed the number of third-party retailers stocking Apple products from around 600 to seven.

These retailers had previously offered discounts of up to 20 per cent off the price of Apple devices, undercutting the vendor’s own online store.

In the lawsuit, consumer Steven Floyd alleges the deal between the companies boosted Amazon’s previously-peripheral position as a seller of Apple devices.

The lawsuit covers US citizens who bought new Apple devices through Amazon since January 2019.

It seeks a trial by jury, reimbursement for consumers and an injunction preventing the scheme from continuing.