Demand for face masks to protect against the spread of coronavirus leads to soaring prices and counterfeit products, forcing online retailers to tighten their policies and kick some sellers off their platforms.
Surging demand for face masks to protect against the spread of coronavirus has led to soaring prices and counterfeit products, forcing online retailers to tighten their policies and even kick some sellers off the platform.
A pack of five 3M face masks is currently selling for almost $200 on Walmart.com, approximately five times what the same pack cost just one month ago. Amazon shoppers who purchased a 20-pack of 3M masks listed at over $100 described the product as “fake,” warning people to “[stay] away” and noting that it was “Shameful that people are capitalizing on public health fears like this.”
Amazon and Walmart are marketplaces as well as retailers. As platforms, the two companies connect merchants with shoppers and take a commission on each sale. In the cases found by NBC, Amazon and Walmart are not the direct sellers but third-party companies using the site to hawk products. Amazon did not respond to NBC News request for comment on the price of face masks available on its site, but last week it did warn sellers that it will remove listings claiming to cure or treat coronavirus.
“It is against our marketplace policy to have items that have false or misleading claims, or to sell counterfeit or fraudulent goods,” Walmart told NBC News in an emailed statement. “If we are made aware of a product that violates one of our policies, it will be removed from our marketplace. Whether shopping online or in stores, we work hard to ensure our customers have a great shopping experience.
As companies crack down on misleading health claims, third-party sellers look for other ways to capitalize on consumer fears about contracting the virus, which has claimed nearly 2,800 lives and infected more than 80,000 people.Sign Up
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