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 โgrossly unconscionableโ 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.
โCOVID-19โs 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,โ the Amazon class action lawsuit notes.
โUnfortunately, retailers, such as [Amazon], are preying upon the publicโs fear of a surging epidemic and using COVID-19 as an opportunity to pad profits by way of unlawful price increases.โ
COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China and has quickly grown to be a global pandemic due to its virulence. At the time of Armasโ complaint, the coronavirus had spread to 104 countries around the world โ 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 Amazonโs 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 โto create a unified command structure [โฆ] and allows, if need be, out of state medical personnel to operate in Florida.โ
Armas argues this state of emergency declaration also added protections from consumers based on Florida law. Under the stateโs 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 attorneysโ 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 am so upset with this price gouging every place.
I have gotten items that were supposed to be free of charge but then my card was charged and the amounts were changed in Amazon. I have the confirmation emails to prove that it should have been free.
This is ridiculous and will never go through haha. Amazon isnโt responsible for pricing and already has measures in place to prevent this but vendors are sometimes able to go around them. How irresponsible to not even look into the issue before filing a lawsuit.
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You keep get emails saying they fixed the problem
They did not
Its crazy
Yes they gouged me I paid higher price for toilet paper
I paid $30 for 20 rolls of toilet paper this evening. I am so disgusted with these money hungry orporations .
I am really disappointed by Amazonโs price gouging. I always thought Amazon was a company i could trust. Of course, i wouldnโt have paid that price to start with. Live and learn.
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I was outraged. I should have listened to my son who said Amazon purchases from all sorts of retailers. I thought they were a reputable company.