Anonymous,
As more and more governors declare states of emergency over COVID-19, some businesses continue to unfairly inflate prices for critical supplies -- despite corporate and government efforts to stop them.[1,2,3,4]
With marketplaces unable or unwilling to prevent fake surgical gloves and absurdly priced hand sanitizer from invading stores, we need the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action.[5]
A public health emergency shouldn't be an opportunity to price gouge. Tell the FTC: Stop price gouging during emergencies.
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Since the novel coronavirus made landfall in the U.S., demand for supplies including hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes has risen. Some sellers know that consumers are in a tough position -- and they're taking advantage of that by raising prices significantly.[6]
One container of Clorox wipes cost over $58, including shipping.[7] A four-pack of Purell was selling for $159 dollars on Amazon.
And while the FTC -- the agency responsible for protecting consumers in the marketplace -- has warned consumers about scams related to coronavirus, it has yet to implement a robust plan to stop price gouging during the outbreak.[8,9]
We have enough to worry about without having to navigate a marketplace fraught with predatory price-spikes.
We need the FTC to take action. Tell the FTC to protect consumers from predatory sellers.
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U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has already filed a letter with the FTC calling on the agency to implement a plan to protect consumers from price gouging as COVID-19 prompts Americans to seek out medical supplies.[10]
U.S. PIRG is urging the FTC to follow through with a robust plan to crack down on bad actors in the marketplace -- and we need your help:
Add your name: Tell the FTC to crack down on bad actors in the marketplace.
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Sincerely,
Faye Park
President
1. Matthew Impelli, "What U.S. States Have Declared a State of Emergency Amid Coronavirus Outbreak," Newsweek, March 9, 2020.
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2. Charisse Jones, "Coronavirus leads Sen. Ed Markey to ask the FTC to stop the gouging and scams," USA Today, March 10, 2020.
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3. Alex Gangitano, "DOJ warns companies against price fixing during coronavirus," The Hill, March 9, 2020.
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4. Jordan Valinksy, "Amazon deleted 1 million items for price gouging or false advertising about coronavirus," CNN, March 2, 2020.
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5. Alexandra Berzon and Daniela Hernandez, "Amazon Battles Counterfeit Masks, $400 Hand Sanitizer Amid Virus Panic," Wall Street Journal, March 11, 2020.
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6. Jessica Guynn and Kelly Tyko, "Gouge much? Purell for $149, face masks for $20: Coronavirus price hikes are making everyone mad," USA Today, updated March 4, 2020.
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7. Jessica Guynn and Kelly Tyko, "Gouge much? Purell for $149, face masks for $20: Coronavirus price hikes are making everyone mad," USA Today, updated March 4, 2020.
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8. Colleen Tressler, "Coronavirus: Scammers follow the headlines," Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information, February 10, 2020.
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9. Charisse Jones, "Coronavirus leads Sen. Ed Markey to ask the FTC to stop the gouging and scams," USA Today, March 10, 2020.
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10. Charisse Jones, "Coronavirus leads Sen. Ed Markey to ask the FTC to stop the gouging and scams," USA Today, March 10, 2020.
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