COLUMBUS, Ohio - Thirty-three state attorneys general, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, is calling on companies like Amazon, Craigslist, Facebook, eBay, and Walmart to take a tougher stance on price gouging,

"The internet shouldn't be a safe haven for bad actors to hold necessities hostage," Yost said. "These companies need to do more to police their marketplaces, especially during a global health crisis."

A letter from the attorneys general sent to the companies today lists several examples of price gouging on the marketplace platforms, all of which have taken place during the COVID-19 pandemic: on Craigslist, a two-liter bottle of hand sanitizer was being sold for $250; on Facebook Marketplace, an eight-ounce bottle was being sold for $40; and on eBay, packs of face masks were being sold for $40 and $50.

The attorneys general recommend several changes to protect consumers from price gouging.  Specifically, the letter lists three steps companies can take, including setting policies and restrictions around price gouging, triggering those protections ahead of an emergency declaration, and creating and maintaining a "fair pricing" page or portal.

It also recommends implementing a complaint portal for consumers to report price gouging.

On a blog post by Amazon, they described their efforts to fight price gouging by saying, "price gouging has no place in our stores."

Facebook has taken steps too, removing millions of ads and commerce listings for the sale of masks, hand sanitizer, surface disinfecting wipes, and COVID-19 test kits.

In addition to Ohio, the letter was signed by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.


Ohioans who suspect unfair business practices should contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 1-800-282-0515.