The hoarder who stockpiled 17,700 hand sanitizers

An Amazon merchant, Matt Colvin, who stockpiled 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer with the idea of flipping them at huge profits. It didn’t work out quite as he had planned.

The Amazon merchant was one of many who tried to profit from frenzied buying of coronavirus-related supplies, with prices for items like N95 face masks soaring at first.

Then, e-commerce platforms cracked down: Amazon canceled thousands of such listings, while eBay blocked all U.S. sales of sanitizers and face masks. The attorney general in Mr. Colvin’s home state, Tennessee, sent investigators to his home to look into the suspected price-gouging.

Mr. Colvin has since changed his tune, donating most of his supply. He reported that he had received death threats and that he regretted his actions.

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