Amazon accused of price gouging on essential items during coronavirus pandemic: watchdog
California examining Amazon’s business practices on third-party sellers
The Wall Street Journal reports California investigators are looking into Amazon’s treatment towards its online sellers, primarily third parties.
A consumer watchdog group is accusing Amazon and its third-party sellers of engaging in price gouging amid the coronavirus pandemic, against the e-commerce giant's own policies.
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Amazon listed 15 of its own essential products, including disposable face masks, hand sanitizer, toilet paper and paper towels, with markups ranging from 76% to as much as 1,000% in comparison to previously listed Amazon prices or other retailers' prices, according to a Sept. 10 report from consumer rights nonprofit Public Citizen.
The nonprofit also found 10 products from third-party sellers, including flour, sugar, hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray, with markups ranging from 225% to 941%.
GERMAN WATCHDOG LAUNCHES AMAZON THIRD-PARTY SELLER INVESTIGATION
"Amazon has fundamentally misled the public, law enforcement and policymakers about price increases during the pandemic," Alex Harman, Public Citizen competition policy advocate and author of the report, said in a statement. "Amazon has publicly blamed third-party sellers for price increases while continuing to raise prices on its own products and allowing those sellers to increase their prices."
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