The DC Attorney General claims that Amazon secretly excluded neighborhoods from Prime delivery service.
The Attorney General states that Amazon cannot deceive customers while protecting its employees.
A new lawsuit has emerged against Amazon, alleging that the company has discreetly excluded two zip codes in Washington DC from its fastest delivery service using its proprietary trucks. Instead, it has opted to subcontract to slower delivery services like UPS and the Postal Service. According to DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, this decision has impacted approximately 48,000 Amazon Prime members residing in areas east of the Anacostia River, who received fewer benefits than they were paying for, whether $14.99 a month or $139 a year.
The affected neighborhoods are predominantly Black and low-income. Schwalb claims that despite customer complaints about the slower delivery times, Amazon "deceived consumers into believing it was a coincidence." For her part, Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, responded that the company modified its service in those zip codes due to "specific and targeted acts against drivers delivering Amazon packages" in those areas. Nantel defends that the company made the decision to adjust its operations to protect the safety of the drivers.
The attorney general asserts that while Amazon has the right to protect its workers, it cannot do so by deceiving its customers. Schwalb argues that "Amazon is charging tens of thousands of Ward 7 and 8 residents for expedited delivery service that it promises but does not deliver." The lawsuit is based on DC's consumer protection law and seeks to prevent Amazon from continuing what is alleged to be deceptive behavior, as well as demanding civil penalties, restitution, and unspecified damages.