A recent Amazon class action lawsuit accuses the online retailer of charging excessive prices for basic goods such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the wake of the coronavirus.
Plaintiff Stephanie Armas, a Florida resident, says she took to Amazon in an attempt to stock up on supplies in the face of the spreading novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
As a mother of five, Armas says she wanted to purchase toilet paper and hand sanitizer for her family, but was charged “grossly unconscionable” prices for these goods.
Amazon allegedly charged Armas $99 for a 36-pack of toilet paper and $199 for a two-pack of 1 liter hand sanitizer bottles.
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Armas argues these prices are far more what is usually charged, with toilet paper typically selling for around $1 a roll and hand sanitizer selling for between $7 and $8 per liter.
“COVID-19’s rapid spread and the very real threat of a widespread quarantine, have caused a run on various personal hygiene products, such as disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and toilet paper,” the Amazon class action lawsuit notes.
“Unfortunately, retailers, such as [Amazon], are preying upon the public’s fear of a surging epidemic and using COVID-19 as an opportunity to pad profits by way of unlawful price increases.”
COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China and has quickly grown to be a global pandemic due to its virulence. At the time of Armas’ complaint, the coronavirus had spread to 104 countries around the world – resulting in more than 109,000 confirmed cases and over 3,800 deaths. By Feb. 28, the CDC confirmed the virus reached the United States.
Armas argues that Amazon’s exorbitant prices are not only unreasonable but are also illegal under Florida law, considering the state of emergency.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly declared a state of emergency on March 9 in the face of the outbreak. The declaration aimed “to create a unified command structure […] and allows, if need be, out of state medical personnel to operate in Florida.”
Armas argues this state of emergency declaration also added protections from consumers based on Florida law. Under the state’s laws, retailers are not allowed to charge unconscionable prices for goods or services in the wake of a declared state of emergency.
The plaintiff says Amazon has violated these laws by charging unreasonable prices for hygienic products such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
Armas seeks to represent a Class of Florida consumers who purchased hygienic products from Amazon after a state of emergency was declared in Florida on March 9. On behalf of herself and the proposed Class, Armas seeks actual damages, statutory damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.
Plaintiff and the proposed Class are represented by J. Alfredo Armas, Francesco A. Zincone and Eduardo E. Bertran of Armas Bertran Pieri.
The Amazon Coronavirus Class Action Lawsuit is Armas v. Amazon.com Inc., Case No. 104631782, in the Eleventh Circuit Court in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida.
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493 thoughts onAmazon Class Action Alleges Coronavirus Price Gouging
I formerly was an Amazon seller. I sold my business in December 2018, but prior to that I was selling on Amazon for 5 years. Amazon had/has the software and ability to monitor ALL sellers, including current pricing and future pricing and how much it’s raised in a 24 hr. period. They have the ability to monitor listings and RESTRICT/deny price increases if they choose. When it came to smaller sellers who didn’t sell in the millions of dollars, they monitored them. But if you were a million dollar seller they did not. Why? Because a million dollar seller generates A LOT of revenue for Amazon. Remember, this is a company with the ability to deliver products in a 24 hour period, and with Drones! Don’t be fooled thinking they don’t have the ability to monitor and restrict price gouging, they do. They choose not to in some cases because they, Amazon, would lose too much revenue. They want you to think they can’t monitor everyone who sells on Amazon, that they just don’t have the manpower. Really?!!! Think about it, they have the ability to run a website with millions of sellers, selling products from all over the world, collecting and processing payments for millions of sellers, and offer 1-2 day shipping!
Amazon could have stopped the gouging in an instant if they wanted to. Amazon has always, and will always, put their profits first, even if it means people will be taken advantage of. I witnessed it first hand, as a seller. They allowed hundreds, yes hundreds, of sellers to sell products claiming to contain certain ingredients which they did not, products like skincare, supplements, baby products, etc. When in fact these products did NOT contain the ingredients customers wanted and were paying for, instead they contained ingredients that were NOT disclosed to the customer. Ingredients that are extremely harmful if you have cancer, or are allergic to them, etc. It was brought to Amazon’s attention, but they looked the other way because if they acted and required these companies to show proof of their claims/ingredients, they would have lost millions. So they looked the other way, to protect their bottom line. It’s easy for sellers to prove if their skincare is USDA organic, for example, they get a certification from the USDA that they can provide Amazon. It’s easy for supplement companies to show proof of third party certification of the product and its ingredients, they get a certification they could show Amazon. Do you think Amazon asked for these certifications from the companies? NO, they did NOT. But they DID allow the companies to advertise and make claims of ingredients, etc., which customers relied on when making buying decisions. No questions asked by Amazon. Be careful, always vet the company you’re buying from and be sure you know the origin/source of the products you’re purchasing if you’re putting them on your skin or into your body. I do buy on Amazon, it can be a great experience, you just need to know what you’re buying and from whom. And don’t fall for the lie that Amazon can’t control pricing – they can if they WANT to.
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Add me please
Please add me. I live in Florida and wanted to buy hand sanitizers for my airplane flight to California. Went on Amazon to buy it and could only find ridiculously high prices. This is price gouging and shouldn’t be allowed.
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We couldnt afford masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, or anything on Amazon its crazy. A small profit is fine but not 500%
I refused to pay those outrageous prices. Amazon should be ashamed of themselves.
You are 100% correct Tina. See my post above.
Being a senior citizen and not being able to shop on a regular basis, I tried to get hygiene products and could not because of the prices and the lines. These are things that I really need and cannot afford to buy.
Add Me too as I have bought a lot on amazon and the prices were and are crazy!!! Not Fair!!!