US agency says Amazon to be held accountable for hazardous products
Amazon has to take steps to inform consumers and ensure they return or destroy such products
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of the United States declared that Amazon will be held accountable for selling hazardous third-party products on its platform. It has further asked the company to take steps to inform consumers and ensure that they return or destroy such products. The directive encompasses 400,000 items that violate flammability standards, such as defective carbon monoxide detectors, unsafe hairdryers, and children’s sleepwear. In response, Amazon revealed its intention to contest the order in court.
The US agency stated that ‘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’. The CPSC labelled Amazon as a ‘distributor’ of faulty products, as such products are stored and shipped by the company.
This is not a one-off incident for the company as previously, in 2021, the CPSC also sued Amazon, compelling them to recall numerous hazardous products sold on their platform. Subsequently, Amazon was forced to remove most of these items and refunded customers. Nevertheless, Amazon maintained that they provide logistics for independent sellers and are not distributors.
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