EBay Covid-19 Price Gouging Suit Dropped Following Settlement

A suit alleging eBay Inc. allowed unlawful price-gouging of essential items during the Covid-19 pandemic has been settled, according to a Dec. 4 filing in a California federal court.

Jeanette Mercado, an Uber and Lyft driver, alleged she was sold a two-pack of N95 masks on eBay in March for $23.98, a nearly 300% markup from pre-pandemic prices.

California law makes any price increase exceeding 10% during a state or local emergency presumptively illegal, the proposed class suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said.

The anti-price gouging law was triggered no later than Feb. ...