A quest for "coronavirus" on Amazon raised results for face masks, disinfectant wipes and recently published books on viral infections, revealing how a few merchants are taking advantage of the health crisis. It additionally offered results for vitamin C boosters as well - a fake remedy for the virus that has been broadly disseminated on the web.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) expresses its worry about some deceptive Amazon postings prior this month, including counterfeit medications. The organization said fake coronavirus claims online were creating mass turmoil and asked tech giants to battle this spread of misinformation.
Amazon is yet to provide a rundown of those items it says it has expelled, but a BBC search for "coronavirus" on the online site proposes that numerous items are as yet being sold at strangely high prices. A portion of those items is not by any means fit for purpose, like the dispensable dust or surgical masks, as opposed to the recommended protective gear.
In one such example, a 50-piece heap of surgical masks from one seller cost more than £170, while a well-known alternative of a similar item is at a sale for around £36. Indeed, even that less expensive item has still risen drastically in price since early January, when it cost under £10.
Alluding to the act of "hiking up prices of goods" to unreasonably high levels in light of an expansion in demand, a spokesperson said, "There is no place for price gouging on Amazon," She referred to the company policy which permits Amazon to bring down items/products that "hurt customer trust", including when pricing "is significantly higher than recent prices offered on or off Amazon".
And further on added that the company will keep on monitoring the site for price spikes.
