eBay seller hit with suit after trying to clean up on TP sale
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There’s obeying the law of supply and demand, and then there’s charging $86 for a package of toilet paper.
An Iowa man was sued by the state’s attorney general on Friday after he ignored warnings to stop charging excessive prices on more than 250 items on eBay, according to the statement by the AG’s office.
The suit is the first price-gouging petition in Iowa since the COVID-19 outbreak began, the statement said. Businesses and individuals that hike prices too much during a crisis face penalties of up to $40,000 under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.
According to the suit, the man was trying to sell a 12-roll pack of Angel Soft toilet paper for $86 and a 12-ounce can of Lysol for $65.99, among other things.
The seller was sent a written warning on March 24 but apparently the profits were too good to pass up.
He even managed to soak up $119.99 for a 12-count package of Bounty paper towels, according to the statement.
“From the pandemic, heroes have arisen who put the social good and their fellow man first, such as doctors, nurses and other health care workers,” the lawsuit states. “Unfortunately, others have chosen to take advantage of the crisis in order to personally and unfairly profit from the panic and product shortages initiated by COVID-19. Defendant is in the latter group.”
More insurance and risk management news on the coronavirus crisis here.
