Matt Colvin is left with 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer after Amazon pulled the products from their website when he tried to sell them at high prices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Matt Colvin, a man from Chattanooga, TN, admitted to purchasing over 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer and selling them at high prices to try and make a big profit with his brother Noah Colvin, in the midst of coronavirus fears, in a new interview with The New York Times. On Mar. 1, after the first U.S. death from the pandemic went public and the World Health Organization advised people to wash and sanitize their hands to prevent the virus, the siblings set out all around Tennessee and nearby Kentucky in their silver SUV to purchase as many bottles of the cleaning agent they could find along with anti-bacterial wipes. They immediately put them all up for sale on Amazon until the company pulled their items and gave them a warning that their account would be deleted if they kept selling things at higher and higher prices. Now, the once hopeful seller, who is a former Air Force technical sergeant, is left with 17,700 bottles of the cleaning agent and nowhere to sell them.
Here are five things you should know about Matt and his controversial actions in the wake of the coronavirus that’s spread to 137,000 people worldwide and killed more than 5,000.
1.) Before Amazon pulled his listing, he was successfully selling the hand sanitizer. He and Noah sold the items at prices between $8 and $70, as did many other sellers, but Amazon was quick to act. eBay also did the same thing for people selling the hand sanitizer on their site as well.
2.) He’s gotten a lot of negative feedback on social media. After he admitted to trying to make a profit off the hand sanitizer in the wake of the coronavirus, Matt and Noah were called out by numerous angry people who claimed they were causing an unnecessary shortage and taking away the useful product from people who could really use it.
“Matt and Noah Colvin: verifiable pieces of s*it. They are currently hoarding over 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. They should be prosecuted for gouging,” one angry tweet read. “Congratulations to Matt and Noah Colvin for securing their place in history as some of the most selfish a**holes ever. I hope you suffer from this despicable act,” another read.
Others weren’t as harsh and offered to give them a fair price if he agreed to donate the bottles to people who don’t have any. “Hey Matt Colvin – this is a real offer. I’ll pay you a fair price to donate some of these. I’m sure others will as well. Don’t be an asshole,” a third tweet read.
Shortly after his NYT article was published, Matt told the outlet he was exploring ways to donate the bottles.
Matt and Noah Colvin: verifiable pieces of shit. They are currently hoarding over 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. They should be prosecuted for price gouging. https://t.co/A0z3jQIX69
— Maria (@Maria_Emmm) March 14, 2020
Matt Colvin in Hixson, TN bought 18,000 bottles of sanitizer before the shortage surrounding COVID-19.
He admits to cleaning out stores in multiple states— intending to sell for profit on Amazon.
Amazon took down his listings— he says he is considering donating. @WRCB pic.twitter.com/hfg8j0u43g
— Hunter Hoagland (@HunterHoagland) March 14, 2020
3.) He doesn’t believe he was overcharging. Although he charged $20 for two bottles of Purell hand sanitizer that retails for $1 each, he told the NYT that people forget his price includes labor, Amazon’s fees, and about $10 in shipping costs due to the alcohol it contains being considered a hazardous material. He explained that he thinks current price-gouging laws “are not built for this day and age.”
4.) Despite the backlash, he’s still willing to accept a profit for the bottles. Before any talk of donations, Matt explained that he wants to sell the sanitizer for a fair price. “If I can make a slight profit, that’s fine,” he told the NYT. “But I’m not looking to be in a situation where I make the front page of the news for being that guy who hoarded 20,000 bottles of sanitizer that I’m selling for 20 times what they cost me.”
5.) He regularly makes profits from selling other things on Amazon. The avid seller said he derives a six-figure income from selling things like Nike sneakers, pet toys, and other trending products on Amazon.
Sourse: hollywoodlife.com
