US judge allows Amazon Covid-era price gouging lawsuit to proceed

Core Viewpoint - A US federal court has allowed a class-action lawsuit against Amazon to proceed, alleging the company charged excessive prices for essential goods during the Covid-19 pandemic, indicating potential exploitation of consumers during a crisis [1][2]. Group 1: Legal Proceedings - The court ruled that claims under Washington consumer protection laws were sufficiently clear regarding Amazon's pricing practices [1]. - The lawsuit, filed on April 21, 2020, seeks compensation for consumers who paid "unfair" prices for food and other goods from January 31, 2020, to October 20, 2022 [6]. - The court noted that the determination of which prices were unfair would be made after discovery and expert assessment [7]. Group 2: Allegations of Price Gouging - The complaint alleges significant price increases on various products, including a 1,044% rise for toilet paper, 1,523% for cold remedies, and up to 1,800% for some face masks [3]. - Judge Lasnik indicated that it was reasonable to infer that Amazon took advantage of pandemic conditions to impose unfair prices [2][4]. Group 3: Company Conduct - Internal Amazon documents suggested the company was aware of what constituted price gouging and had communicated with state attorneys general about curbing such behavior [3]. - The court criticized Amazon for attempting to make the litigation process difficult for the plaintiffs, suggesting a strategy to harass or embarrass them [5].