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Amazon removes more than 3,900 seller

accounts from US store due to 'coronavirus-
based price gouging'
Josh Rivera, USA TODAY
USA TODAY ● March 23, 2020, 7:04 PM PDT

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Amazon announced Monday that it has removed more than 3,900 selling accounts in
its U.S. store for "violating our fair pricing policies."

As coronavirus fears began to spread in early March, the company said it was
investigating. On Monday, the retail giant also said in a blog post it has removed more
than half a million items from its stores because of "coronavirus-based price gouging,"
about half the amount it had previously said it removed in response to price gouging Work-from-home routines speed the shift to
or misleading claims. cloud-computing services
MarketWatch
"We began taking these enforcement actions promptly upon discovering this kind of
misconduct, and we've been partnering directly with law enforcement agencies to
combat price gougers and hold them accountable," Amazon said in the post.

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Despite Amazon's earlier calls to curb gouging, it appeared it persisted and not just
'The US of Amazon': how the coronavirus has
from third-party sellers. created a governance vacuum the tech giant is
quickly filling
According to a report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group released March 11, The Guardian
nearly 1 in 6 of the products sold directly by Amazon had prices spike 50% higher
than the 90-day average.

The company reinforced its claim that it "has proactively reached out to every state
attorney general in the country" to ensure bad actors were being held accountable.

Although the post did not mention Amazon's own pricing changes, it added its
platform "strictly prohibits sellers from exploiting an emergency by charging
excessively high prices on products and shipping" and that it is "issuing regular
reminders to our sellers about these longstanding policies."
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On Saturday, Amazon told U.S. warehouse workers that the company was temporarily Skin, and Nails Flawless

doubling its overtime pay amid a flood of orders from people hunkered down during Who What Wear

the coronavirus pandemic.

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Follow Josh Rivera on Twitter: @Josh1Rivera

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amazon: Coronavirus price gouging
leads to removal of 3,900 accounts

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