Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1225926
26.03.2020 9 NEWS AMAZON and eBay are being urged to clamp down harder on coronavirus profiteering by sellers, after consum- er magazine 'Which?' found many everyday household products being offered at inflated prices. 'Which?' said it had found over- pricing of cleaning products, ther- mometers, baby formula and tam- pons. In several cases, prices were around 10 times what shoppers would nor- mally expect to pay and in some in- stances the price inflation was even higher. 'Which?' said online marketplaces should be bringing in stricter con- trols to identify and prevent sellers charging unjustifiable high prices for essentials - and policies must be communicated clearly and directly with sellers. However, both eBay and Amazon said they were taking tough action against "price gouging" - which hap- pens when a seller dramatically in- flates the price of goods. Some of the worst examples found include: • A digital thermometer was sell- ing for nearly €300 on eBay and almost €150 on Amazon when the typical price is around €40. • Disinfectant costing around €3 was being sold for almost €30 on eBay and nearly €10 on Am- azon. • Bottles of antibacterial hand lotion which often retail for around €1 were priced at more than €10 each on Amazon and eBay. Amazon and eBay under fire as profiteering sellers jack up prices tenfold on vital household items JONATHAN MIFSUD COVID-19 has changed the world in a way few could have ever predicted. People are staying indoors, partially due to fear and partially due to guidelines or lockdowns issued by governments. Trends which were expected to solidify over the next 10 years, such as telework- ing, got accelerated within a span of just a few short days. Numerous businesses had to shut doors, whereas others had to evolve within a matter of days to remain opera- tional and support their employees. Some governments have already stepped in to foot at least a portion of the bill, with the aim of ensuring that busi- nesses do not close permanently. How- ever, many businesses know that this is not enough. In light of this, other tech businesses that were not as heavily impacted by clo- sures are doing their part in alleviating the pain. Several companies are providing their software for free or at a reduced rate. eir services are necessary to help other businesses operate and get insights dur- ing this time of need. ese are some of the businesses which are helping out: Loom (Cloud Video Recording) Loom, a cloud-based video recording software, has slashed their prices in half (from $10/mo to $5/mo), and are offer- ing their service for free for educational institutions, including students and aca- demics. Loom is a great tool for businesses that are looking to send recorded videos and screencasts to their clients, and it is highly sought by both sales and support teams. Google (Online Meeting Rooms) As a tech giant Google is also doing their bit, however unlike other players, they have not yet announced any decreases in prices. However, they are upgrading all business accounts to an Enterprise Level meeting facilities up till 1 July. is allows businesses to get up to 250 participants within a single call, up to 100,000 live stream viewers and recorded meetings. Businesses which might have been looking for a video solution and were already on the Google Suite, might have found their solution with Google's Hangouts Meet video-conferencing ca- pabilities. Futurli (Cashflow Forecasting) Futurli is a cashflow forecasting tool for businesses, takes in accounting data, es- timates how long a business's cash flow is going to last, and seeks to predict when the business is about to receive and make payments based on historic transactions. For businesses to survive, cash-in-hand is just as important as profit. is is why Futurli have decided to give Float Pro for free until July to help businesses monitor their cashflow and identify trends before they become a problem. Buddy (HR & Payroll) Buddy is a Maltese startup that opened its doors in 2018, offering cloud-based Payroll, allowing both HR managers and employees to work from home. Provid- ing remote access for employees to track working hours and apply for leave, Bud- dy is ideal for teams who can work from home. As part of the Covid-19 business sup- port, they're providing free training, on- boarding and payroll for the duration of the pandemic. For businesses looking for a solid payroll solution, Buddy's free pay- roll courses are a great way to get started. Adobe (Creative Suite) Tech giant Adobe is offering a two- month relief to existing customers who are reaching out via email, with up to three months given over a phone call. Having said that, those phone lines take around two hours to get through. ere have been mentions of a relief to new customers, but if you're an existing customer and need some cashflow as- sistance, an email to adobe would surely help save some cash. A collective effort Should a business be under duress during Covid-19, the government and your employees aren't the only options to reduce your costs. If you're a team member, help your boss by identifying opportunities to reduce costs or even talk to suppliers, to obtain some relief where possible. If we all do our part, we should collec- tively be in better shape than we would be if we let everyone to their own devic- es. Beating Covid-19 is a collective effort, so let's beat it together by supporting each other and following official advice. Jonathan Mifsud is the CEO of Maze Digital a Xero Developer Partner. They help businesses and SaaS platforms seamlessly integrate into Xero - the #1 cloud accounting software. He and his team have helped businesses around the world save hundreds of thousands in administrative overheads through automation. Cloud-based businesses offering a helping hand during Covid-19 Buddy is a Maltese startup offering cloud-based payroll