(RightIsRight.co) – Amazon has landed in hot water over alleged discriminatory practices in predominantly black neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.
See the tweet below!
The retail giant is facing a lawsuit claiming it secretly withdrew fast delivery options from these areas, leaving customers frustrated and disillusioned.
The District of Columbia has aggressively pursued Amazon with a lawsuit, accusing the company of halting its fastest delivery services to two majorly Black neighborhoods without informing Prime members.
These areas, with ZIP codes 20019 and 20020, have long been underserved.
Amazon allegedly replaced its own delivery services with third-party couriers in these neighborhoods in mid-2022.
Their claim? Safety concerns for their drivers were the pressing issue.
However, D.C. officials remain skeptical, pointing out that nearly 50,000 Prime members in these areas were left in the dark and faced slower deliveries, The Post Local reports.
The delivery service fallout is stark. Before the changes, over 72% of Prime packages in these ZIP codes arrived within two days—now, that figure stands at a mere 24%.
Meanwhile, other areas in D.C. still enjoy rapid delivery.
Amazon claims to have handled over 1.5 million Prime-eligible products in these neighborhoods promptly, yet the city isn’t convinced.
“Amazon is charging tens of thousands of hard-working Ward 7 and 8 residents for an expedited delivery service it promises but does not provide. While Amazon has every right to make operational changes, it cannot covertly decide that a dollar in one ZIP code is worth less than a dollar in another. We’re suing to stop this deceptive conduct and make sure District residents get what they’re paying for,” declared D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.
Amazon counters these allegations, asserting transparency about delivery times and claiming their actions were meant to protect their drivers.
They express a desire to collaborate with the D.C. attorney general to bolster safety measures.
District of Columbia says Amazon secretly stopped fast deliveries to 2 predominantly Black zip codes https://t.co/f7CvuimW7g
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 4, 2024
Yet, with past accusations of slower delivery to predominantly Black areas, the retailer has some skeptical onlookers.
District attorneys demand restitution and possible damages for affected members, accusing Amazon of deceit by masking the real reasons behind slowed deliveries.
This lawsuit adds to Amazon’s legal struggles in D.C., echoing previous antitrust allegations.
While Amazon stands by its policies, citing safety measures, the lawsuit accuses them of racially and socioeconomically biased practices.
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