Ten times more expensive toilet paper and fifteen times more expensive aspirin: Amazon is being taken to court in the United States for these flagrant price increases during the coronavirus pandemic. The e-commerce giant wanted to have the case dismissed, but its request was denied.
Abuse of necessity
The judge of the federal district court in Seattle ruled that it was unfair and possibly even illegal for sellers on Amazon’s platform to have profited from the severe shortages during the coronavirus pandemic. When consumers began hoarding products such as toilet paper, baking powder, and face masks before and during the lockdowns, many customers had “no real alternative” but to order them at exorbitant prices through Amazon.
