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Amazon has been told by U.S. authorities that it holds the responsibility, not third-party sellers, for any faulty items sold on its online marketplace.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the finding this week, ruling that the global e-commerce giant failed to adequately inform the public about more than 400,000 defective products.
The commission is the authority to rule on dangerous items sold in the United States, with the remit to order a recall on any hazardous items.
As part of a statement released by the CPSC on Tuesday, it relayed that a judge sided in its favor, placing responsibility on Amazon alone as a distributor of third-party products. The findings declared the company’s notice to customers on items they had purchased – and “potential” safety issues – was unacceptable and did not go far enough to protect consumers.
This verdict comes after years of legal wrangling between Amazon and independent sellers – which make up around 60% of the ubiquitous online marketplace – disputing which party was liable for such faulty products.
“Amazon failed to notify the public about these hazardous products and did not take adequate steps to encourage its customers to return or destroy them, thereby leaving consumers at substantial risk of injury,” said the CPSC statement.
It continued, “Amazon must now develop and submit proposed plans to notify purchasers and the public about the product hazards, and to provide refunds or replacements for these products.”
Amazon plans to contest the ruling
Conversely, the tech giant (which confirmed a $2 trillion market cap on June 26) voiced its disappointment with the ruling and confirmed it would seek to appeal the decision.
As it stands, the CPSC has outlined how Amazon now must submit a proposed plan to inform consumers about faulty products and to remove them from sale, online.
Certain products cited in the CPSC crackdown include carbon monoxide detectors which do not function, children’s pajamas that could catch fire and hair dryers that could electrocute a user if submerged in water.
Image credit: Via Ideogram
