The British Columbia Transportation Board ruled against Amazon for violating delivery regulations. Accordingly, the corporation is liable for a statutory penalty of $10,000. The ruling came shortly after an adjudicator found that Amazon had failed to adequately service packages. As required under federal consumer protection regulations, the company has to get customer permission to drop packages off on doorsteps or with neighbors.
This enforcement decision was prompted by Amazon’s repeated failure to deliver their packages in compliance with British Columbia’s laws. These blunders were far below the standard called for by municipal codes. According to the adjudicator, Amazon frequently delivered packages piled high on doorsteps. They did this by granting these privileges to other third parties without requiring that the proper end consumers ever consented to these alternative delivery methods.
A critical need addressed by the adjudicator was the “delivery to the appropriate end user.” He added that when companies don’t live up to these standards, they’re eroding consumer rights and public faith in the delivery industry. That regulator, headquartered in British Columbia, determined that Amazon’s conduct was an egregious breach of local delivery rules.
Today’s ruling is an important step taken by the British Columbia regulator to hold companies accountable for their harmful delivery practices. The impact of e-commerce E-commerce is growing rapidly. As businesses look to prosper in this new environment, they need a regulatory framework that protects consumers and families while enabling responsible and safe deliveries.
