EBay has banned the sale of hand sanitizers and face masks due to price gouging by sellers amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, CNBC reported Friday.
“Our first priority is to ensure the safety of our employees and customers around the world,” a spokesperson for EBay said to CNBC. “We are making every effort to ensure that anyone who sells on our platform follows local laws and eBay policies.” (RELATED: Profiteers Try To Sell Respirators For Exorbitant Prices Amid Coronavirus Outbreak)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted on February 25th that the“disruption to everyday life” from the virus “may be severe.” Since then prices for N95 respirators have skyrocketed with some Ebay retailers charging upwards of $1,000 for masks that would usually sell for only a few dollars.
The most expensive listing for N95 respirators on Ebay costs over $11,000. (Screengrab/Ebay)
Other respirators were being sold for an upwards $10,000 – $11,000.
The company took notice, making the decision Friday to ban the complete sale of n95/n100 masks, hand sanitizer/gel, and disinfecting wipes adding they “will continue to monitor the evolving situation and quickly remove any listing that mentions COVID-19, coronavirus, 2019nCoV (except books) in the title or description.”
According to CNBC, Attorney General Xavier Becarra of California released a public statement on Wednesday warning consumers of the violations for gouging prices on items vital for public health.
The virus appears to have affected public events and conference with the Conservative Political Action Conference announcing Saturday that one of their attendees has tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, major music festivals, such as the SXSW and Ultra Music Festival, were cancelled after Twitter, Facebook, and Netflix all pulled out over fear of the virus.