The attorney general of the District of Columbia has sued Amazon, alleging that the company’s delivery practices in lower-income neighborhoods are deceptive and violate consumer protection laws. According to the lawsuit, Amazon has been using third-party services such as United Parcel Service and the Postal Service to make Prime deliveries in these areas for the past two years.
This resulted in slower delivery times compared to those made by Amazon’s own delivery drivers serving other Washington residents. The company claims that it made this change due to safety concerns, but the attorney general says that the shift was not disclosed to consumers and created unequal treatment.
The District of Columbia has a history of regulating Amazon over various issues, including price-fixing allegations in 2021 and accusations of monopolizing online retail last year. This latest lawsuit centers on Amazon’s Prime membership service, which costs $139 annually for fast delivery options.
In the affected neighborhoods, packages received within two days only 24% of the time, compared to 75% for other areas of the city. The attorney general is seeking to stop Amazon’s “deceptive conduct” and ensure that District residents receive what they pay for.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/technology/amazon-prime-delivery-lawsuit.html