Parents struggling to find baby formula amid a nationwide shortage are reporting that price gougers are selling bottles and cans marked up by as much as 300% or more on websites like eBay, OfferUp, Amazon and Craigslist, and inside Facebook communities.
percent or more on websites like eBay, OfferUp, Amazon and Craigslist, and inside Facebook communities. But in many cases, they’re finding that the platforms are doing little to punish the predatory sellers.
State attorneys general and elected officials have raised concerns about the online price gouging of baby formula in recent days. Inthat Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, both Connecticut Democrats, sent to FTC Chair Lina Khan, they warned that they were aware of price gouging and scams targeting parents specifically on sites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
“We work with manufacturers and government officials to identify items at risk of price gouging and have a Ashley Settle, a spokesperson for Meta, which owns Facebook, said that in Facebook groups, it is not against Meta’s rules to advertise items at inflated prices. Buying on Amazon would raise her formula expenses by more than 45 percent, but it could soon be her only option as the girls drink the remaining cans she has managed to secure. She said she has reported a number of listings to Amazon, but they did not come down. It did not appear that the third-party sellers, who advertise on Amazon but are not part of the company, were suspended.
Amazon spokesperson Patrick Graham said the company is actively working on monitoring prices on the site. “We continuously compare the prices submitted by our selling partners with current and historic prices inside and outside our store to determine if prices are fair. If we identify a price that violates our policy, we remove the offer and take appropriate action with the seller.