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.