Attorney General Charity Clark announced that Amazon has agreed to pay $400,000 to the State of Vermont to settle a dispute regarding violations of the state’s delivery sales ban, which prohibits the direct shipping of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping products, to Vermont consumers. The settlement resolves allegations that third-party sellers on Amazon’s platform were able to circumvent the company’s rules and sell vaping products in violation of state law.
The Attorney General’s Office investigation revealed that over several years, third-party sellers exploited loopholes in Amazon’s system by listing products under misleading titles and images. Once approved by Amazon, the sellers would change these listings to reflect prohibited vaping products. The investigation found that this practice allowed Vermont consumers, including minors, to purchase vaping products without proper age verification, further contributing to the youth vaping crisis.
“Amazon failed to follow the rules put in place to protect children from harm,” Attorney General Clark said. “I won’t stand for illegal sales of vaping products that not only harm our youth but also evade state taxes.”
As part of the settlement, Amazon has committed to improving its platform’s controls to prevent future illegal sales of vaping products. It has pledged to work with the Attorney General’s Office to enforce the ban against sellers attempting to bypass these controls.
Anyone aware of illegal online sales of vaping products to Vermont residents is encouraged to report the activity to the Attorney General’s Office.
For more information, visit the Vermont Attorney General’s Office website at AGO.TobaccoEnforcement@vermont.gov
