More than 1 million products have been pulled from Amazon for misleading claims or price gouging amid the coronavirus outbreak, the company confirmed on Tuesday.
“There is no place for price gouging on Amazon,” a spokesperson told ABC News. The statement went on: “We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic-need products during a global health crisis, and, in line with our longstanding policy, have recently blocked or removed tens of thousands of offers.”
The two numbers are separate. Tens of thousands of offers came down over price gouging. The 1 million figure covers products with suspect or misleading claims, a flood that arrived as COVID-19 spread worldwide anxiety. Amazon says it “has always required sellers provide accurate information on product detail pages” and removes listings that break its policies.
The cleanup followed numerous media reports of face masks and hand sanitizers from third-party merchants getting steadily more expensive on the platform. Amazon was also swamped with offers for health products carrying questionable claims. Facebook made a similar move, announcing a ban on ads that guarantee a cure, create a sense of urgency or otherwise try to cash in on the outbreak.
Counterfeits and Congress
The timing overlapped with a push in Washington. On Monday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed the Shop Safe Act, which would make e-commerce platforms accountable for counterfeit goods sold on their sites.
“Consumer lives are at risk because of dangerous counterfeit products that are flooding the online marketplace,” Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., said in a statement. “Congress must create accountability to prevent these hazardous items from infiltrating the homes of millions of Americans.”
Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said platforms “must do their part in ensuring that their sellers are reliable and that their products are authentic.”
Amazon answered the bill in a statement. It “strictly prohibits counterfeit” goods, the company said, and has invested more than $400 million to fight fraud and counterfeit abuse on its site. In January, it added, it committed to reporting all confirmed counterfeiters to law enforcement. “We are actively fighting bad actors and protecting our store and we will continue to work with brands, government officials and law enforcement,” the statement said.
