eBay Removes Listings for Masks, Sanitizes, Wipes and More

Price gouging has been a big issue recently with many home supplies running out of stock, such as toilet paper, disinfectants and more. Amazon already said it would stop accepting new listings for face masks, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, among other coronavirus-related products. Although it is being accused of not doing a good enough job at stopping price gouging. This was listed just yesterday for example:

Only 2 left in stock for $900 – order soon @amazon #coronavirus #toiletpapershortage pic.twitter.com/BMpv1zr9nB

— Danny the Deal Guru (@dannydealguru) March 19, 2020

eBay is also taking similar steps. In an email to customer eBay says it has been working with regional health authorities across the globe. These include the US FDA, French Ministry of Economy, Italian and German medicine authorities, and the Westminster Trading Standards Department in the UK.

As of March 5, eBay US, IT, CA, and FR have blocked all new listings and removed existing listings that sell healthcare masks, hand sanitizers and gels, and disinfecting wipes. This is to comply with regulatory restrictions and protect consumers from unfair pricing behaviors exhibited by some sellers. We will also remove other commodities such as toilet paper and bleach if prices become disproportionately high.

Listings containing the words “coronavirus” or “COVID-19” have been blocked since February 3.

Starting March 16, buyers who search for terms related to COVID-19 will see a banner at the top of the search page that redirects them to the official WHO website.