Boats Group Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Alleged Monopolization of Online Boat Listings Market

Boats Group, the Miami-based owner of Boat Trader, YachtWorld, and boats.com, is currently embroiled in a federal class action lawsuit accusing it of monopolizing the market for online boat listings and marketing services in the United States.

The complaint, filed in the Southern District of Florida by Brill Maritime Inc, which operates as Export Yacht Sales, alleges that Boats Group has utilized exclusionary and anticompetitive practices to willfully acquire and expand monopoly power in the market. This includes acquiring competitors, imposing price increases, enforcing restrictive contractual terms, and hindering entry and expansion by rival platforms.

The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and damages under the Sherman Act, the Florida Antitrust Act of 1980, and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. It claims that Boats Group holds approximately 75% of the global market share for online boat listing and marketing services, with a similarly dominant position in the US, attracting over 65 million annual visitors.

Export Yacht Sales alleges that Boats Group utilizes subscription agreements with sellers that contain exclusive dealing provisions, discouraging them from listing on competing platforms. This has hindered competitors from gaining traction, with examples like the struggles faced by the International Yacht Brokers Association’s Yachtr platform. The lawsuit highlights significant price increases over the years, with Boat Trader alone charging $2,900 per month in 2025.

The filing asserts that these practices not only harm brokers and sellers but also impact buyers. The lawsuit states that buyers have faced higher prices due to Boats Group’s exclusionary conduct and supracompetitive fees imposed on brokers and dealers. Lawyers for Export Yacht Sales emphasize the severe impact of Boats Group’s anticompetitive behavior on the industry.

The class action lawsuit, Brill Maritime Inc d/b/a Export Yacht Sales v. Boats Group LLC, was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida (No. 1:25-cv-23663-RKA). It aims to restore competitive conditions and recover damages for thousands of US brokers, dealers, and sellers who purchased subscription-based listing services from Boats Group since 2014.

Boats Group and its parent company, Permira, have not issued any comments on the lawsuit. Permira, a European private equity firm, is not named as a defendant in the case.