Couple sold hundreds of $3.53 hand sanitizer gels for nearly $40 each, Ohio AG says

A couple sold almost $27,000 in overpriced hand sanitizer products on Amazon during the coronavirus pandemic, Ohio officials say.

Athens, Ohio couple Marcus and Ellen Fultz are accused of price-gouging Purell products as consumers struggled to find them on store shelves, according to a lawsuit filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

“This is appalling behavior and should be answered in a court of law,” Yost said in a news release Thursday. “Even more, it points out the need for a specific price-gouging law.”

The couple “raked in” over $26,700 on sales of 600 hand sanitizer products in February and March as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning in the U.S., the lawsuit says.

For example, they sold 382 8-ounce bottles of Purell hand gel normally priced at $3.53 for $39.44, officials said.

On average, the products sold for over four times the cost, according to the lawsuit.

“The defendants’ behavior contributed to a shortage of a highly desirable and useful item that harmed consumers and the public interest,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit seeks to require the couple to repay consumers and pay fines.

This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Couple sold hundreds of $3.53 hand sanitizer gels for nearly $40 each, Ohio AG says."