Online Furniture Retailer Denies Trafficking Humans via Its Website
I feel like so many people take things as Bible truth because they read it online or because a friend of a friend read something and so it must be true. People are quick to snowball things without facts, so I thought we'd take a look at the most recent scandalous retail conspiracy and let you decide what you think is or isn't happening.
Late last week my social media feeds started to blow up with questions and even accusations about the company Wayfair being involved in human trafficking and using its website to do so.
We DO have a HUGE problem with human trafficking (and it, unfortunately, isn't talked about as openly and often as it should be) in the United States, but where did the idea that Wayfair is involved in human trafficking come from? In a thread on Reddit, a user with the handle PrincessPeach1987 posted the following in the "conspiracy" section,
Is it possible Wayfair involved in Human trafficking with their WFX Utility collection? Or are these just extremely overpriced cabinets? (Note the names of the cabinets) this makes me sick to my stomach if it’s true :(
It seems that the reason PrincessPeach1987 posted this question after noticing that several items on Wayfair were listed at extremely high prices compared to other, similar items. The item in question were utility closets priced at more than $10,000.
PrincessPeach1987 couldn't wrap their head around Wayfair such expensive closets (and in all fairness, the price seems a bit steep to the average consumer) and threw out the idea that maybe the items were being used as part of human trafficking. To Newsweek the Reddit posted admitted that they are "involved in a local organization that helps victims of human trafficking."
Following the Reddit post, the Wayfair human trafficking theory took on a life of its own with people chiming in with suspicions but to date, there has been no solid evidence found that any such activity has taken place.
In a statement issued to Newsweek, Wayfair said,
There is, of course, no truth to these claims. The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced. Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we have temporarily removed the products from the site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point.
To Reuters, Wayfair said by phone,
...the higher pricing reflects the larger sizing for these items as well as the shipping costs associated for items this big (designed for restaurants, industrial plants, etc).
Niraj S. Shah, the co-founder, co-chairman, and CEO of Wayfair has ties to Central New York as he earned his bachelor's degree in engineering from Cornell University in 1995.