“Making sure District residents get what they pay for.” That’s why a Washington, D.C. attorney general is suing Amazon.
According to Brian Schwalb, 48,000 people in two low-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods were put at a disadvantage compared to wealthier neighborhoods despite having a valid subscription to Amazon Prime’s expedited delivery service, the Washington Post reports.
A lack of information
Specifically, since 2022, 48,000 people have reportedly been cut out of expedited delivery services and forced to wait for UPS or postal deliveries. According to the prosecutor’s complaint, the delivery giant should have warned its users that deliveries would slow down as a result of the decision. The failure to do so would violate the state’s consumer protection laws.
The attorney general is asking not only for the exclusion to end, but also for those affected to receive financial compensation.
Amazon has denied the allegations through its spokeswoman, Kelly Nantel, saying it is “categorically false” that the company’s business practices are discriminatory or deceptive. She adds that Amazon "always makes it clear to customers during the checkout process when they can expect to receive their order."
Driver safety defence cited
Amazon's defence claims that the company stopped delivering to customers in these areas due to "driver safety concerns". The company goes on to say that it wants to "work with the attorney general's office to reduce crime and improve safety in affected areas."
The attorney general's office responded that Amazon has the right to protect its workers, but it cannot bill for services that are no longer being received without informing customers.
Worse still, the giant's services, when questioned by residents who did not understand why their deliveries were taking so long to arrive, reportedly responded "the long delivery times were never intended" and described them as "one-off events caused by circumstances beyond Amazon's control."
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