◆ Prices for Purell hand sanitizer spike online.
Glow Beauty Inc. knew it was holding solid gold, and it wasn’t afraid to charge for it. On Tuesday, it was asking $348 for four plastic bottles of Purell hand sanitizer.
That included free shipping, mind you. And the bottles were 40.5 ounces each. Still, buyers on Amazon were not impressed.
“Outrageously expensive, but needed for a patient waiting room,” one commented on the seller’s Amazon page Tuesday. “There’s a fine line between gouging and supply and demand.” After questions from the Post, the seller said it was removing the listing.
Widespread fears about coronavirus have caused acute shortages of hand sanitizer, creating a cottage industry online: Purell speculation. Amazon has been awash with sanitizer arbitrage, as third-party sellers hawk their remaining supply at premium prices.
“Village Pharmacy and Boutique” wanted $400 for a case of 24, 2-ounce bottles on Tuesday. “Collectible — Very Good,” it said of the cargo’s condition. That made an offer from a different third-party seller look like a steal — $229 for a dozen 8-ounce bottles “with Aloe and Vitamin E.”
Sellers were also active on Facebook Marketplace, where an 8-ounce bottle of Purell was priced at $40.
Amazon last week said it was cracking down on thirdparty vendors that are trying to profit from the coronavirus frenzy. But some sky-high listings continued on Tuesday.
“There is no place for price gouging on Amazon,” spokeswoman Cecilia Fan said last week. “We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis and, in line with our long-standing policy, have recently blocked or removed tens of thousands of offers. We continue to actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policies.”
Amazon didn’t provide further comment Tuesday on sanitizer pricing. In an emailed statement, Facebook said “sellers are responsible for complying with local laws, which include those related to an emergency.” Some states have laws banning price gouging during a crisis.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was not impressed by the trade. “Seriously, @Amazon? These prices are absurd,” he tweeted Tuesday, sharing a screenshot of a few high-priced Purell offerings.
The sanitizer speculation isn’t limited to Purell. On Amazon Tuesday, two different third-party sellers were offering a two-pack of 16 ounce Equate-brand sanitizer for $50.