How to Report Price Gouging on Amazon and Stop Unfair Pricing

Trying to get affordable prices and the best prices available for different products is something that is advertised by Amazon. They allow sellers to use their platform to sell both essential and non-essential products to consumers. Unfortunately, some sellers take advantage of price gouging as natural disasters, pandemics, and other events cause a significant demand for a product. If you have a case of this happening for a product, you can report it and make a claim with DoNotPay.

What Is Price Gouging?

Price gouging is an act that happens when merchants take advantage of high demand for a particular product. They will raise the prices for these items significantly, attempting to maximize their personal profits because they know that consumers will pay the price. In most cases, a price of 15 percent or higher is considered price gouging and needs to be reported.

What Are the Signs of Price Gouging in Amazon?

With Amazon, you have the luxury of adding items you want to a list or letting them sit in your cart until you are ready to make a purchase. When you place them in the list or the cart, make a note of the price that is listed. When you go to purchase the items, you may see a significant price difference from what you had previously. If you notice that the price is at 15 percent or higher than what it was posted for a few days ago, then you have a case for price gouging.

What Should I Do if Amazon is Price Gouging?

If there are sellers on Amazon price gouging, you need to report this right away. If you want to tackle this on your own, you will need to make this notification directly to your state's Attorney General's office.

1. Find the contact information for your state's Attorney General (phone, mail, and secure email address) Not all states go through the same process, so while one may be easier than the other, you may have a more tedious process.
2. Give them a call and see if they have a form you need to complete. Complete the necessary documentation. Some states do not have a form or a template available. At this point, you are on your own to create a letter that you hope has all the necessary information required for your claim.
3. Make sure to take pictures and upload them, or print them out and attach them to the form. If you need to print them, you may have to go to your local library to use a public printer.
4. Return the pictures or other evidence you have with the form or letter. Since many still require a mail process, you will have to make sure all of your documentation is together, go to the Post Office, and mail this to them as Certified Mail.
5. Wait for a response from the Attorney General's Office before pursuing a Demand Letter to Amazon and/or Class Action Lawsuit.

What Goods and Services Can Be Protected from Price Gouging?

Essential goods and services that need to be distributed in the event of a natural disaster or pandemic are protected from price gouging. The most common goods and services include:

• Fuel (gas and diesel)
• Paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, etc.)
• Prescription medication
• OTC medications
• Bottled Water
• Cleaning and Sanitation supplies

These are the most common items that are price gouged by sellers on merchants like Amazon.

Where Do I Report Price Gouging on Amazon?

If you need to report price gouging, you make that request to your state's Attorney General so that they can begin investigating the claim if the business is located in the same state. For a merchant like Amazon, which is virtual and purchases are made online, you can still report to your state's Attorney General since you reside in that state. Amazon does deliveries all over the country and even has distribution centers in most states.

What Do I Need to Sue the Company or Start a Class Action?

Before you can start a class action against Amazon for price gouging, there are a few things that you need to have on hand so that you can be successful and make your case.

1. Name of Merchant, web address for product link.
2. Evidence of Price Gouging: Proof of previous prices vs. current prices.
3. Photos, screenshots, etc. that show the date of the price changes.

These items need to be readily available so that you can upload them and allow DoNotPay to submit a demand letter on your behalf.

How to Protect Against Price Gouging Using DoNotPay?

If you want to protect against price gouging, but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in five easy steps:

1. Open the Price Gouging Protection product on DoNotPay.
2. Generate a fake credit card to use with the merchant.
3. Complete the transaction with the fake credit card.
4. Save a photo of the transaction as evidence and start the demand letter process.
5. Answer a few questions through our chatbot about the merchant and transaction.

Why Use DoNotPay to Report Price Gouging on Amazon?

When you report price gouging, it needs to be successful and reported quickly to stop it from happening. With the help of DoNotPay, you get the following in your price gouging report:

DoNotPay Works Across All Merchants and Companies

If you need to report price gouging for other merchants, you can do so using DoNotPay to make sure that they are submitted successfully. DoNotPay has the ability to report these matters on all merchants and companies, whether it is on online merchants or in-store purchases.

DoNotPay Can Help With Other Tasks For You

DoNotPay does not limit its offerings to just price gouging and reporting it for different merchants. You can get help with the following:

• Get help with canceling subscriptions that you do not want any longer.
• If you need to get a refund or have credit charged back, they can help navigate that process.
• Going to small claims court? DoNotPay can help!

DoNotPay is here to assist you with all parts of your life, giving you back your time and eliminating stress.