FTC Called to Action to Protect Fraudulent Sales of Testing Kits
A letter was recently sent by Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., requesting that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigate reports of COVID-19 test kit price gouging.
“According to reports from multiple state attorneys general and the media, consumers have recently experienced price gouging when attempting to purchase at-home test kits, including being charged double or triple the regular retail price of the product,” write the senators to Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission.
The Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently issued a warning about sales of fake at-home COVID-19 tests being sold online, after the Department of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection team reported an increase in calls and complaints relating to sales of at-home tests in the state.
The FTC and Better Business Bureau also issued warnings at the beginning of this month regarding fraudulent test sales. The FTC includes tips for shopping online for COVID-19 test kits, like making sure the test is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, comparing online reviews of the product, and investigating the seller.
The FTC also recently responded to the role social media platforms play in spreading dubious COVID-19 claims by sending more than 25 cease-and-desist demands to businesses that made unsubstantiated prevention or treatment representations for tinctures, teas and sundry services.
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