Gus Hurwitz on Amazon’s Defective Products Policy

Washington Post – ICLE Director of Law & Economics Programs Gus Hurwitz was quoted by The Washington Post in a story about whether Amazon’s new policy to indemnify users up to $1,000 for defective goods. You can read the full piece here.

The fact that the company isn’t more definitive makes the claim “cheap talk,” said Justin “Gus” Hurwitz, a University of Nebraska at Lincoln law professor and director of the Nebraska Governance and Technology Center.

The new policy is likely driven by legal and regulatory efforts to push Amazon to accept greater responsibility for selling defective goods, Hurwitz said. Last month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission sued Amazon, accusing it of refusing to recognize regulators’ authority to force the company to recall defective and unsafe products.

…“I suspect Amazon could see the handwriting on the wall,” Hurwitz said. “They are trying to forestall future litigation and legislation that could be difficult for them.”