At a time when coronavirus psychosis has skyrocketed there are those looking to make money on people's fear, selling masks and disinfectants at crazy prices considered (in some cases erroneously) useful for protecting yourself from contagion. To prevent the misconduct from continuing, the Antitrust has decided to intervene against the looters who speculate on disinfectants and masks.
MASKS AND DISINFECTANTS: CRAZY PRICES ON AMAZON AND EBAY
For days masks and sanitizing gels have sold out in shops and pharmacies. Anyone who manages to find them almost cries out for a miracle. This reality has led many consumers to turn to the main e-commerce platforms, Amazon and eBay in particular, in search of products that help avoid being infected by the coronavirus. However, many have sensed the deal and in a few hours the prices have skyrocketed.
Although Amazon has already intervened to invite sellers to maintain behaviors "inspired by good faith and respect for customers", threatening to remove offers and "selling privileges", it is not difficult to continue to come across products with crazy prices: a 6-pack of Amuchina is sold for 70 euros. On the other hand, 11,5 euros are spent for a single piece which until a week ago was found at 3-4 euros in pharmacies or supermarkets.
On eBay the situation seems to be even more serious: an 80 ml vial costs 59,9 euros plus shipping costs.
It's even worse with masks, most of which, we emphasize, are completely useless. Those equipped with approved filters, usually sold for around 10 euros, cost 50 euros and are even accompanied by clumsy marketing slogans that inform consumers about their usefulness against the coronavirus.
On the question Amazon points out to FIRSTonline that the company is “committed to offering maximum cooperation to the competent authorities“. “The sales partners – continues the company – set the prices of the products in our store and we have rules to help them define these prices in a competitive way. We actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our rules."
THE INTERVENTION OF THE ANTITRUST
An unsustainable situation that prompted the authorities to move. After the first interventions by the Guardia di Finanza, too the Antitrust takes the field against the looters. With a note released on February 27, the Competition and Market Authority informs consumers that they have sent "a request for information to the main sales platforms and other online sales sites with reference to the methods of marketing hand sanitizing products and disposable respiratory protection masks".
The intervention comes following a series of reports from consumers and associations and aims to target incorrect conduct concerning "the presence of claims relating to the alleged effectiveness of the aforementioned products in terms of protection and/or contrast against the Coronavirus", explains the Antitrust, but also "the unjustified and substantial increase in the prices of the same products recorded in recent days".
According to the indications provided by the Authorities, companies are obliged to communicate by 1 March what measures they have taken to eliminate deceptive slogans and to block price increases on products.
THE GOVERNMENT RESURRECTS "MISTER PRICE"
However, with the draft of the emergency decree that the Government is preparing to deal with the spread of the Coronavirus in Italy and the economic damage it is causing, there is the risk of adding new confusion to the already existing one. In fact, the decree also provides an article on the surveillance of consumer prices and unfair commercial practices, a specific competence of the Antitrust which, between 1 January 2018 and 1 June 2019, punished with fines of 85 million incorrect operators.
In fact, the provision establishes the appointment of a Guarantor at the Ministry of Economic Development with the task of verifying and analyzing the reports, but also deciding to start fact-finding investigations. The Guarantor, in turn, will have to communicate the results of the activity to the Competition and Market Authority for the consequent initiatives. In essence, a sort of guarantor on the guarantor that already exists.
To do what? "It is considered incorrect - reads the text - the commercial practice which, concerning products relating to health, the supply of basic necessities and consumer safety, takes advantage of situations of social alarm by increasing the selling price by more than three times of the price resulting from the price list or in any case charged on average, referring to 30 days before the conclusion of the sale", reads the text. But the control, as demonstrated by the new investigation launched by the Antitrust already exists and is effective, as demonstrated by the sanctions already passed on the one hand and the corrective commitments imposed on the operators on the other (26 proceedings).
(Last update: 16.15 pm on 28 February).
