Investigation Finds That Products Manufactured by Amazon Itself Are Exploding or Bursting into Flames, And Continue to Be Sold
In September, several senators sent a letter to Amazon demanding that a number of hazardous products sold on the company’s website under its own label, “AmazonBasics,” be recalled after a CNN investigation found that they remained for sale even though they had exploded or caught on fire, causing severe damage and danger to consumers. According to the investigation, at the time, the website contained more than 1,500 reviews of products that consumers described as dangerous, indicating that they were hazardous and had caught on fire, covering more than 70 products; 30 of which remained for sale in spite of these prevalent reviews indicating that they were dangerous and even related reports filed with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Some of these products were then suddenly taken down after the investigation even though no notification was provided to customers, leaving them to cause damage in their homes.
The company has of late been repeatedly held responsible in court for product liability In connection with third-party vendors, but this is the first expose of its own products being linked to dangerous defects, indicating that a massive wave of litigation is likely headed towards it in connection with any and all dangerous products that it sells, and it needs to rethink its process for selecting, testing, and listing products for sale on its website. According to electrical engineer experts, it is impossible for these products to consistently catch on fire completely due to user error; if they were well-made and properly used, they should rarely pose dangers. The senators have now asked for information from the company concerning its safety procedures and the steps it is taking to remove these hazardous products from the website and homes.
Separate Report Finds Price-Gouging On Critical Supplies During Pandemic
Recent reports also indicate that the company engaged in price gouging during the height of the pandemic on products in significant demand, such as masks, sanitizer, and toilet paper, as a first party seller; all while claiming that it was doing everything that it could to prevent third-party vendors from engaging in the practice. This included, for example, a 470 percent price increase on antibacterial soap and a 1000 percent or more markup on facemasks. It is suspected that – as opposed to individual employees going through and manually increasing prices – the company likely relied on algorithms to set its prices during the pandemic, as it always does, and pandemic-related market conditions were causing some products to go up in price–a phenomenon the company did not seem to adjust for.
If You Have Concerns Over a Defective Product, Contact The Best in Florida Injury Recovery
If you have been injured by a product sold by Amazon, regardless of who the specific manufacturer is, contact Tampa defective product attorney Mark H. Wright to assist you in discussing your options and next steps for recovery.
Resources:
cnn.com/2020/09/11/business/amazonbasics-lawmakers-demand-recalls-dangerous-invs/index.html
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/09/amazon-products-marked-up-more-than-1000-during-pandemic-report-finds/
cnn.com/2020/09/10/business/amazonbasics-electronics-fire-safety-invs/index.html
