Many products, such as face masks, hand sanitizer and gloves, don’t have the federal certifications for the safety standers they are promising. Additionally, some of the supplies are counterfeit or deceptively labeled while others are being up charged at extreme rates.
The WSJ found that more than 100 safety masks and respirators being marketed on Amazon were counterfeit or had unverifiable claims. In another example, a latex-free glove promised to “prevent coronavirus, flu and pneumonia.” However, no consumer-grade glove can do that.
Prices for products on Amazon have surged at least 50 percent. The advocacy group U.S. PIRG Education Fund found a Purell sanitizer listing, which normally retails for $7.99, was being sold for as high as $49.95.
An Amazon spokesperson told WSJ the price gouging is “a clear violation of our policies, unethical, and in some areas, illegal.” The company has removed 530,000 offers and suspended 2,500 accounts due to coronavirus-related price gouging. Additionally, Amazon has removed millions of listings for products with false claims about the virus.
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