Hagens Berman: Attorneys Suing Amazon for Price-Gouging Praise D.C. AG’s Efforts

Class-action attorneys representing a proposed class of consumers against Amazon since 2020 support AG Karl Racine’s newest lawsuit

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Consumer-rights attorneys at Hagens Berman sued Amazon for price-gouging in 2020, and are now throwing their support behind Washington, D.C. attorney general Karl Racine, who has followed in the firm’s footsteps.

“We are pleased to see D.C.’s attorney general has joined the fight we started in April 2020 over Amazon’s unlawful tactics that have greatly harmed consumers,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney for consumers in the class action. “The proposed class action we filed in 2020 has paved the way for additional antitrust actions against Amazon, and we believe consumers will see the benefit of that.”

Since Hagens Berman’s class-action lawsuit against Amazon, defendants in the case filed a motion to dismiss which has been fully briefed since December 2020.

The AG’s newest endeavor against the tech giant includes no new allegations that were not already in Hagens Berman’s case.

About the Consumer Class Action vs. Amazon

Hagens Berman’s antitrust class action against Amazon was filed Apr. 21, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and accused the world’s largest retailer, Amazon.com, of engaging in “unconscionable” and unlawful price increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, inflating prices for essential goods by upwards of 672 percent. Under California law, any price increase exceeding 10 percent during a state or local emergency is presumptively illegal.

According to the lawsuit, “Amazon’s sales have never been higher, and since the COVID-19 pandemic began, its sales in some categories (e.g., home items) are up more than 1000 percent,” according to the lawsuit.

If you purchased any consumer food items or goods, emergency supplies or medical products from Amazon during the COVID-19 crisis, find out more about the lawsuit and your rights.

As the COVID-19 crisis escalated, so too have Amazon’s prices for goods consumers require to remain healthy, protected and nourished, attorneys say. After COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency by California officials, certain Amazon prices increased as follows according to Hagens Berman’s filing:

• Face Masks: Increases exceeding 500 percent, from less than $20 to $120;
• Pain Reliever: Increases of 233 percent, from $18.75 to $62.40;
• Cold Remedies: Increases up to 634 percent, from $4.65 to $35.99;
• Black Beans: Increases up to 672 percent, from $3.17 to $24.50;
• Flour: Increases up to 400 percent, from $22.00 to $110.00;
• Disinfectants: Increase of 100 percent, from $14.99 to $29.99.

The lawsuit against Amazon seeks repayment to consumers for Amazon’s price-gouging, as well as injunctive relief from the court barring Amazon’s overpricing.

Find out more about the class-action lawsuit against Amazon for price-gouging during the COVID-19 outbreak.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with 10 offices worldwide. The firm’s tenacious drive for plaintiffs’ rights has earned it numerous national accolades, awards and titles of “Most Feared Plaintiff’s Firm,” MVPs and Trailblazers of class-action law. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.