Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
In the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic in the month of April in the United States, sanitation became a number one priority for preventing the spread of this virus. Many cleaning products such as hand sanitizer, were wiped from the shelves. But it wasn’t just because people bought them out of need, it was also because of individuals who saw a prime opportunity to take advantage of essentials needed for every home. These individuals are called scalpers, their sole purpose is monitor highly sought after items, purchase them in high number and sell them several times the original price. When coming across such people, the first question that would come to mind, is if this even legal? Contacting Trina Kaufman, a New York City attorney, I aspired to find out a precise answer on this issue.
“Generally, it’s not illegal to resell an item that you have legitimately purchased regardless of the price you request for it. Once you have purchased something at retail it is yours to do with as you choose. Manufacturers tend to have little or no control over a product past the first customer they sell to. However, depending on your province and selling and buying health and shelter essentials in a declared state of emergency, buying in excess and reselling at a much higher original price is strictly prohibited by almost all states.” Her answer was somewhat disheartening, but, reassuring to know that laws were in place to prevent individuals from taking advantage when it comes to state of emergencies. But even if it is legal to price gouge non-essentials is it exactly morally right?
”For weeks in April I couldn’t find a single bottle of hand sanitizer in Atlanta, so I tried to settle with just alcohol and putting it in a spray bottle, but they had taken all of that too.” This was the problem of my friend Darrell’s mother, Patty Weaver. “I had to drive all the way out to Smyrna to find even some Clorox wipes and some 50% alcohol bottles, I couldn’t even find 60% or 71%, people are acting crazy as hell.”
Hearing her frustration and struggle, I empathize and remember my own families struggles to find even something as small a rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizer. Even without the issue of price gougers, there are still hoarders to be concerned about, their only intention, to keep as much for themselves as possible. Going store to store buying the store limit for each product and sending friends and family one at a time. What are the moral rights of that? And what do people define it as a whole?
“You would think most people would define it as considering if their actions would affect others negatively, or if you feel better about yourself after making that decision, like giving an old lady back $100 bill or something like that.” This was just one personal opinion of my sister Amanda.
