Coronavirus: Amazon pulls 1M products to avoid price gouging, fake goods

An Amazon sign is pictured at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Peterborough, east England, on Nov. 27, 2019.

Credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images

Credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images

An Amazon sign is pictured at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Peterborough, east England, on Nov. 27, 2019.

Amazon says it pulled more than 1 million products from sellers trying to use the Coronavirus outbreak to their advantage.

The online retailer says some sellers are making false claims and trying to push fake products that can "prevent" or even "cure" the virus.

Some sellers are also price gouging on in-demand items like hand sanitizer, masks and cleaning wipes.

Amazon said all third-party sellers must follow its fair pricing policy, which states that companies can't sell a product for a significantly higher price than seen in other places.

For example, Amazon removed one seller for marking up face masks to five times their usual price.

Third-party sellers on Amazon have been criticized in the past for selling defective or fraudulent products with little oversight.

About the Authors