‘We’re hustlers’: Amid coronavirus fears, this couple has made more than $100,000 reselling Lysol wipes
A Canadian couple has been profiting from the global crisis by buying Lysol wipes in bulk and selling them for an inflated price online.
- Manny Ranga and Violeta Perez have made over CAD$100,000 ($72,000).
- They bought disinfectant products in bulk every day and sold them for around 4 times their price.
- Violeta Perez: “Everything we do, we’re in the moment. We’re hustlers.”
- Amazon has suspended the couple’s account “Violeta & Sons Trading ltd”.
While millions struggled worldwide, this Canadian couple profited off the fear and panic.
Manny Ranga and Violeta Perez allegedly made over CAD$100,000 ($72,000) by purchasing Lysol disinfectant wipes and liquids in bulk and selling them at an inflated rate. According to the Toronto Star, the couple would visit Costco stores every day and spend thousands of dollars on Lysol wipes and liquid cleaners. After this, they would sell them online for around four times their retail price. Ranga reportedly explained that a six-pack of wipes would cost $20. Looking at their Amazon account “Violeta & Sons Trading ltd”, the Toronto Star found that the couple was selling the six-pack for $89.
The couple claimed that they are “hustlers”.
Ranga and Perez began their price-gouging after they were stopped by a woman outside a store. The woman had seen that the couple had purchased supplies and hand-sanitizers and had offered to pay double the amount they paid for the sanitizers. It was then that they had the idea to buy in bulk and sell online. “Everything we do, we’re in the moment. We’re hustlers,” explained Perez. The Toronto Star reported that the couple admitted to visiting Costcos in Vancouver, Richmond, and Burnaby every day. Moreover, Perez disclosed that while many managers criticized their daily visits, others greeted them with a “good for you” attitude.
Ken Whitehurst, the executive director of the Consumers Council of Canada, commented:
It makes you queasy in the stomach when people exploit an emergency solely for the purpose of making a few extra dollars.
When asked if he felt bad about what he is doing, Ranga told the Toronto Star that unlike people who stock up on supplies for themselves, he is putting the products back on the market. “I’ve got to pay the pills. With a regular job, I won’t be making this money,” he said.
Fox 29 have reported that Amazon has suspended the couples account.
