Amazon Settles Vermont Tobacco Product Sales Ban for $400,000
Amazon will pay Vermont $400,000 and improve its vetting practices to settle claims that it failed to stop online vendors from selling e-cigarettes, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark announced Wednesday. An investigation by the attorney general’s office found that third-party sellers had been hawking tobacco products, especially vapes, to Vermonters on Amazon over the past few years.
Selling tobacco products online to anyone other than a licensed dealer violates Vermont law. Amazon also prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes and has safeguards in place to prevent such sales. However, the settlement revealed that between July 2019 and September 2024, certain e-cigarettes were purchased from third-party sellers in Amazon’s store and shipped to Vermont consumers.
After being informed of the infractions, Amazon made improvements to its oversight practices. In addition to the payment, Amazon will create a “Vermont Evasive Seller List” each year for the next four years, providing the list to the attorney general if needed.
Attorney General Clark emphasized the importance of following rules put in place to protect children from harm, stating that online sales of vaping products provide minors with a path to obtaining these harmful products without age verification.
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