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Washington, DC’s Attorney General Brian Schwalb has initiated legal action against Amazon, alleging that the company has systematically excluded specific ZIP codes from receiving the benefits of its Prime subscription’s expedited delivery service. This lawsuit claims that starting in 2022, Amazon ceased utilizing its own delivery resources for Wards 7 and 8, while continuing to charge residents the full Prime membership fee. According to data from Census Reporter, Ward 7 and Ward 8 have significant Black populations, with 83 percent and 82 percent of their residents identifying as Black, respectively.
The complaint details that instead of employing its own delivery trucks, Amazon switched to relying on external carriers, specifically UPS and the United States Postal Service (USPS), which led to delays in package deliveries. The suit indicates that only a mere 24 percent of parcels shipped to these wards were delivered within the stipulated two-day timeframe. Additionally, it highlights that Amazon failed to inform residents in these areas about the changes to their delivery services.
This lawsuit raises broader concerns, as it is not Amazon’s first encounter with accusations regarding differential service in predominantly Black neighborhoods. A notable report from 2016 by Bloomberg revealed that this practice was observed in multiple metropolitan regions, suggesting a troubling trend. In response to previous criticisms, Amazon has since expanded its Prime Free Same-Day Delivery service to several underserved areas, including the Roxbury neighborhood in Boston, the South Side of Chicago, and the Bronx in New York City.
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www.engadget.com