Amazon denies any liability because third-party sellers offer the products as “research only” in its online marketplace.
Amazon.com has been selling numerous injectable peptide drugs for some time. These peptides are offered for sale by third-party sellers. The vendors list the products in Amazon’s online marketplace. The products include peptides such as TB-500, BPC-157, MT-2 and PT-141,
Paradigm Peptides, Pharma Grade Peptides, Quality Research Chemicals and Trident Peptides are a few of the vendors who have been openly selling the peptides. They get away with it because they sell them for “laboratory or research use only” and/or “not for human consumption”.
An investigation conducted by The Markup found 66 listings for peptides on the Amazon.com website in August 2020 and September 2020.
Everyone knows that the “research only” label is simply a ruse to sell injectable performance-enhancing drugs to bodybuilders and athletes.
The vendors will usually deny any liability for their customers’ decision to consume the research chemicals. But it seems that everyone who purchases these products can see through the ruse.
Most importantly, federal prosecutors can see through the ruse.
Sam Louis, the former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, has prosecuted several individuals who sold peptides during his time as AUSA.
“The disclaimer was just a simple disguise and cover,” said Louis.
The prosecution of peptide sellers has been going on for years. Some of the peptide sellers that have been convicted include the owners of Genesis Peptides, Precision Peptides, and Genesis Peptides. This is by no means an all-inclusive list.
Amazon responded to The Markup investigation following an inquiry by The Verge. Amazon basically acknowledged that it has permitted third-parties to sell such products as long as they are labeled “research use only”.
“The products in question were previously allowed in our store for laboratory or research use only and not for human injection or consumption,” according to an Amazon spokesperson in an email to The Verge. “However, out of an abundance of caution, we decided to no longer allow these products and have been removing them since, as we have in this case.”
The Amazon spokesperson said it was not the company’s fault if consumers misused or abused any of the peptide products.