Electronics
eBay bans gross sales of face masks, hand sanitizer amid coronavirus value gouging – CNET
eBay is banning gross sales of some gadgets related to the coronavirus, together with N95 face masks.
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Because the COVID-19 outbreak continues to unfold within the US and different nations, demand for merchandise like face masks and hand sanitizer has led to a spike in costs. To fight value gouging, on-line retailer eBay is banning some listings associated to the coronavirus.
In a discover to eBay sellers posted Thursday and noticed earlier by CNBC, eBay stated it will block new listings and take away present listings within the US for disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer and face masks, together with N95/N100 masks and surgical masks. The listings are being eliminated on account of issues that inflated costs for these merchandise might violate US legal guidelines or laws. eBay additionally stated it should take away any listings, aside from books, that point out COVID-19, coronavirus or 2019nCoV within the title or description.
It is unclear how lengthy the ban will final. A spokeswoman for eBay stated the corporate is monitoring the coronavirus scenario.
“As at all times, our first precedence is to make sure the protection of our staff and prospects world wide,” stated an eBay spokeswoman in an emailed assertion Friday. “eBay is taking important measures to dam or rapidly take away gadgets on our market that make false well being claims.”
As of Tuesday, there have been 164 confirmed circumstances of COVID-19, the illness brought on by the novel coronavirus, within the US and 11 deaths there, in line with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. International circumstances have topped 100,000 with greater than three,000 deaths for the reason that outbreak started within the Chinese language province of Hubei in December 2019.
Fears over the coronavirus have led to shops promoting out of things like hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and face masks, and on-line costs have skyrocketed. Two giant bottles of Purell hand sanitizer, which usually price about $9 a bottle, have been promoting on Amazon for $299, in line with CBS Information.
Amazon has additionally taken steps to stop value gouging, warning sellers that they could possibly be booted from the positioning for charging an excessive amount of for face masks and different gadgets. Amazon says it is already eliminated greater than 1 million listings for gadgets claiming to remedy or defend in opposition to the coronavirus.
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