This article addresses two men as well as others who manipulated market sections by buying out local stores, stripping their supplies of hand sanitizer and masks, then reselling them at outrageous prices.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/he-has-17700-bottles-of-hand-sanitizer-and-nowhere-to-sell-them/ar-BB11blvS?ocid=spartandhp
One man sold hand sanitizers at anywhere from $7 to $70 per bottle, until he was shut down and shut out of the profiteering market. He's not the only one.
He and his brother hit 4 stores in TN and KY, filling a U-Haul with supplies and stripping the stores' inventory of them. Then he resold them at multiplies, bringing in hefty revenues from the heavy markups.
Fortunately he and others have been shut down. This particular shyster now has 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer. That's more than I could use in a lifetime. And yet people in need are going w/o, while this man and other shysters are hoarding supplies.
Hopefully the states will take action against him for this kind of profiteering, with an added charge perhaps of hoarding supplies necessary to a pandemic and depriving individuals of their need for these supplies.
Since some of these people have done this before, I think RICO charges could also be considered. This may not be a high level organized crime, but it is a pattern of crimes.
But I also blame the stores for allowing someone to strip their entire supply of any type of product, especially one needed during a health crisis.
When you next try to buy hand sanitizer, it might be because someone, somewhere, has already bought out a store's supply. That's not a very comforting thought, and reflects the irresponsibility and self enrichment of some shysters.
Our shutdown/shut in went in to affect at midnight. It’s going to be a long 3 weeks. The only grocery we will really need is...of course....toilet paper!
If you have American Supply Company nearby, they may be selling TP to the public. It’s a major janitorial company. Ours was selling to the public but as of a few days ago, they have stopped.
Someone, may God rot his socks, has cleverly started a rumour of a fuel shortage in our city.
Well, there will be now! If you are ever reaching for a perfect example of a "self-fulfilling prophesy" just watch this space.
I once went online to our local Attorney General's website to learn more about gift certificates not having an expiration date even if the letter states an expiration date... I do recall seeing something there to report things like price gouging. Perhaps you have something similar?
You need to get bananas!
GREAT to see you Book, stay well. Back to sleep for me.
The check out line I was in the cashier seemed hysterical so I took my stuff to the other counter. I said loudly "I'm not getting on the crazy train"😒
Do not go further and further afield until you find the item and then buy six of them instead of one; because if you do that, YOU are the cause of the problem.
There are very, very few things that we can't cope without for a while. So if you want this depressing, frustrating nonsense to end quicker, give your retailers a chance to restock and then act normal.
Expensive! More than usual if it’s ordinary chicken. We expect to pay more for organic and free range.
Gershun there is picture circulating in social media of someone at Costco....and now I can’t remember WHAT their cart was full of but it was absolutely ridiculous and I wondered WHY Costco allowed them to buy such a huge quantity! Wish I could remember what it was because it was something in high demand.....
At Nob Hill today they had signs up saying they were limiting how much chicken and eggs you can buy....but They didn’t even have any chicken or eggs!
one of the mom & pop stores on the east side of town was selling cases of Costco water for 8.99! They are 2.99 at Costco AND the store doesn’t have to pay tax or CRV so talk about price gouging!
i did see that the 2 jerk wad brothers in Tennessee who bought thousands of hand sanitizers in several states have been forced to donate it! It’s a shame they also sold some for a hefty profit but hopefully they get a huge fine when it’s all said and done! I have not been able to find ANY cleaning products in over a week. We have plenty of hand soap because I tend to get carried away when bath & body works has their after Christmas sale LOL....and I found a bottle of equate sanitizer under the sink too.....but we are low on Clorox spray. Hopefully with the shelter in place order, people will start staying home and stores won’t be wiped out of everything anymore.
I had gone to the grocery store that afternoon looking for ground beef. None to be had. Toilet paper aisle empty and canned goods aisle mostly empty.
No that is not normal! Chicken breast should not be 20 dollars for 2 breast. Chicken should not be 7.99 lb. Its chicken! What is wrong with these stores. It is price gouging!😨
One of our stores raised the price for Ben & Jerry's ice cream to 7.99 and bleach from 4.00 a big bottle to 10.00 for the same bottle!😨
OMG on the person who got their cart taken! 😱
What is wrong with people? I know I ask this question all the time!!😠
Organic. free range chicken or what? Even if so, kind of high for that small amount. I buy organic and free range, but I buy whole chickens to roast.
Life is sometimes so strange that it changes so much we forget things that were very important at one time in our livs.
NeedHelpWithMom, unfortunately, the "underbelly" of society is literally omnipresent to sneak out and capitalize on unfortunate events. Our Governor has already established (Exec Order or law?? unsure) penalties for price gougers.
What I don't understand though is the complete lack of compassion and sympathy for those suffering; they're just people to be exploited. I hope someday these shysters are in a similar position but get no help from anyone.
The other despicable thing that happened was with car dealerships. They sold cars that had been flooded. People were always having issues with those cars.
People were getting sick in the FEMA trailers due to formaldehyde levels so rental prices went sky high. Rentals were scarce and in demand. Greedy landlords had no problem gouging residents who lost their homes.
It’s sad that some people take advantage of people during the worst of times.
In regard to food, I remember grandma canning food, especially making fig preserves from her fig tree. Yummy! I wish I had asked her to teach me how to do canning.
Freqflyer, I have to have my chocolate...maybe I should have stocked up...LOL!
I don't know why stores are raising their prices unless it is just out of greed! Glad I am not the only one that notice it!!!
My parents had always grown as much as possible of their own food. Dad built a pantry in the basement and Mom filled it with canned goods. So we grew up thinking in terms of planning ahead, especially for the winter months until we could garden again.
It surprises me that so many people live from week to week, w/o any backup supplies (although candy is one exception b/c one should never run out of chocolate).
Beyond the basics of just having enough for more than a few weeks ahead, it also makes me feel kind of sad that so many people don't know how to plan, or adapt, or be creative, and are facing such anxiety over perceived insufficient stockpiles.
I saw no one stocking up on flour, so I'm assuming they don't bake their own bread. Homemade bread is a treat everyone should experience! There's nothing like the fragrance of home made bread in the oven. And it's kind of a family bonding experience as well.
I think many people have segued into a more spontaneous mode, buying what's needed for perhaps a week or so and relying on supplies always being available.
But it's not just food. When blizzards or winter storms are predicted, there's a run on shovels and salt. We live in a cold weather state; we've had blizzards since I was a child, and it never ceases to amaze me that some residents don't even have shovels until a blizzard or storm is anticipated.
I don't intend to be critical, or condemn anyone. I think instead that these experiences we're undergoing now can offer insight to people on how to bring more security into their lives, and eliminate the anxiety that many (including me) are experiencing now.
Any time my sig other says we are out of an item, I would go "shopping in the basement" finding the item he needed. Hey, when something is on sale, I don't pass up a good bargain :)
But with the C-19, my main concern was that the grocery stores would close up, so I was in a panic mode for awhile. Thankfully all the grocery stores in my area will remain open, may cut their night hours for customers so that employees can stock the shelves.
Shell, I also noticed higher prices on some items. Which didn't make sense as those products, even if they were from other parts of the world, were already in the States, so why raise the price? I could see the increase once the inventory at the distribution centers were out of stock, and items had to be ordered. Expect a jump in the price of fish from overseas, and those great cookies from Italy and Germany. Oh no, chocolate could be on that list :0