Amazon requires federal rate gouging law in the middle of coronavirus

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Amazon wishes to avoids rate gouging on products like face masks.

 


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Amazon is making the case for a federal rate gouging law.

In a post Wednesday, Brian Huseman, who supervises public law for the Americas at Amazon, stated it isn’t enough for specific states to have their own guidelines about extreme increases in rates for sought-after products (like hand sanitizer) throughout emergency situations.

“While each state is unique and has the ability to enact individual legislative price gouging triggers and remedies, a federal price gouging law would ensure that there are no gaps in protection for consumers,” Huseman composed, keeping in mind that just about two-thirds of states in the United States forbid rate gouging.

He likewise recommended that rate gouging be specified as “unconscionable or grossly excessive or unconscionably excessive,” instead of utilizing particular portions like 10% to 25%.

“We want to avoid the $400 bottle of Purell for sale right after an emergency goes into effect, while not punishing unavoidable price increases that emergencies can cause, especially as supply chains are disrupted,” he composed.

The article comes as online sellers and markets like Amazon have actually been attempting to bat down sellers charging high rates for products like face masks and hand sanitizer in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Amazon states it’s suspended nearly 4,000 seller represent breaking its fair-pricing policies. In March, 34 state attorney generals of the United States gotten in touch with Amazon, Walmart and others to take a more difficult position on rate gouging.