Amazon is providing a platform for unsafe products without warning. It's time for that to change. Tell Amazon to take responsibility for potentially harmful products in its marketplace. TAKE ACTION:
[link removed]

Anonymous,

When shopping, consumers expect the products they buy to be safe to use. Most people can't test for toxic chemicals at home, so we count on retailers not to sell us dangerous items in the first place.

But e-commerce giant Amazon has a history of listing toxic or otherwise hazardous items on its marketplace -- often listed without any kind of warning.

Balloons without choking hazard labels.[1] School supplies and jewelry with toxic lead and cadmium.[2] Skin care products containing mercury.[3] People add potentially hazardous things to their shopping carts without ever knowing that their health, or the health of their kids, is at risk. That has to change.

Consumers have the right to know when the things they buy could put their health at risk. Tell Amazon to take responsibility for hazardous products in its marketplace.
[link removed]

Part of the problem is how easy Amazon makes it for anyone to sell products on its platform. Past court decisions have shielded Amazon by establishing a precedent that it is not responsible for much of what shows up on its website, on the grounds that it is just a marketplace and not the actual seller.[4]

But if it wasn't for Amazon, many of these harmful products would not be nearly as accessible to the public. Amazon may not be the manufacturer, but the e-commerce giant is a vital link in the chain that connects dangerous products to consumers.

It's time for Amazon to take responsibility for keeping its customers safe and informed.

Add your name and tell Amazon to ensure that potentially hazardous products in its marketplace are removed or clearly labeled.
[link removed]

There is a glimmer of hope. Recent court decisions in Washington state and Pennsylvania are finally holding Amazon liable for hazardous products sold by its "marketplace" vendors.[5,6]

But a patchwork of state decisions, and regulations of specific subsets of products, isn't enough when it comes to a company, such as Amazon, that spans the globe. We need to keep holding Amazon accountable until they fully commit to removing -- or at least labeling -- all dangerous products in its marketplace. We need to be able to shop with confidence that the products we buy are not going to harm us.

Take action today.
[link removed]

Thank you,

Faye Park
President

1. "Trouble in Toyland," U.S. PIRG Education Fund, last accessed July 17, 2019.
[link removed]
2. "AG Ferguson: Amazon Must Remove Toxic School Supplies, Kid's Jewelry From Marketplace Nationwide," Washington State Office of the Attorney General, May 9, 2019.
[link removed]
3. Anita Rao, "Amazon Is Still Getting Away With Selling Toxic Skincare Products," Vice, July 1, 2019.
[link removed]
4. Brendan Pierson, "Amazon can be held liable for third-party seller products: U.S. appeals court," Reuters, July 3, 2019.
[link removed]
5. "AG Ferguson: Amazon Must Remove Toxic School Supplies, Kid's Jewelry From Marketplace Nationwide," Washington State Office of the Attorney General, May 9, 2019.
[link removed]
6. Kate Cox, "Court rules Amazon can be held responsible for defective third-party goods," Ars Technica, July 8, 2019.
[link removed]



-----------------------------------------------------------

Donate Today: [link removed]

Join us on Facebook: [link removed]
Follow us on Twitter: [link removed]

U.S. PIRG
Main Office: 1543 Wazee St., Ste. 460, Denver, CO 80202, (303) 801-0582
Federal Advocacy Office: 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, 4th Fl., Washington, DC 20003, (202) 546-9707
Member Questions or Requests: 1-800-838-6554.

If you want us to stop sending you email then follow this link:
[link removed]