NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More than 30 attorneys general across the U.S. signed letters to companies urging them to take more action against price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Letters went out to Amazon, eBay, Facebook and Walmart.
The attorneys general said they’ve received thousands of reports from people about suspected price gouging.
Amazon said they’ve put in manual audits of products to catch price gougers. Walmart put a price freeze on certain hot products like hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies. Facebook said they’ve put in auto detection mechanisms to block and remove listings. eBay said they’re also taking significant measures.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group said it doesn’t take long for customers to become victims.
"Every time they post, someone posts a product with an absurd price, if it gets take down a few hours later, then people are still hurt and then, when you consider that there could be tens of thousands of sellers, a lot is getting through the cracks in that monitoring system," U.S. PIRG education fund consumer watchdog Adam Garber said.
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery did not sign on the letters, although he has taken measures to stop price gouging in the state. Kentucky's attorney general also didn’t sign on the letters.
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COUNTY-BY-COUNTY CASES IN TENNESSEE
What is COVID-19 (a.k.a. the new coronavirus?)
According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. Examples include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV)and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. COVID-19 stands for "Coronavirus disease 2019," which is when this strain of the coronavirus was discovered.
What are the symptoms?
The CDC says patients confirmed to have the 2019-nCoV reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Or at least two of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Repeated shaking with chills
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
At this time, the CDC believes symptoms could appear as soon as two days after exposure, or as long as 14 days.
Prevention
The CDC is recommending "common sense" measures such as:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
