A lawsuit from Washington, D.C.’s legal professional common is alleging that Amazon deliveries are slower in two majority-Black zip codes within the nation’s capital.
The lawsuit, from D.C. Legal professional Common Brian Schwalb, alleges that the tech large quietly restricted supply strategies for members of its Prime program “living in two East of the River (EOTR) zip codes—20019 and 20020” a bit over two years in the past. On the time, the corporate allegedly put in place one thing it refers to as a supply “exclusion” for the zip codes.
The corporate then began to solely use different supply companies within the areas as a substitute of Amazon supply companies, in response to the lawsuit.
“Amazon’s decision has led to a significant decrease in the speed and quality of Prime service District residents in these excluded EOTR zip codes have been receiving when compared to the speed and quality of delivery that (1) they received prior to Amazon’s selfstyled exclusion, and (2) Prime members receive in District zip codes not subject to Amazon’s exclusion,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit additionally notes that Amazon guarantees Prime subscribers will get “speedy Two-Day, One-Day, and Same-Day package delivery.”
“For the past two-and-a-half years, Amazon has deliberately—and secretly—stopped providing its fastest delivery service to the nearly 50,000 Prime members who live in historically underserved communities east of the Anacostia River,” the lawsuit states.
Based on knowledge from the U.S. Census Bureau, about 89 p.c of individuals within the space of the 20019 zip code are Black, whereas about 90 p.c of individuals within the space of the 20020 zip code are Black.
In an announcement emailed to The Hill, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel mentioned “claims made by the Attorney General, that our business practices are somehow discriminatory or deceptive, are categorically false.”
“In the zip codes in question, there have been specific and targeted acts against drivers delivering Amazon packages,” Nantel mentioned. “We made the deliberate choice to adjust our operations, including delivery routes and times, for the sole reason of protecting the safety of drivers.”
