Amy Love 

Opinions Editor 

aml7458@psu.edu 

The concept of individuals purchasing items, only to resell at a higher price to receive a profit is not a new concept. This has already happened countless times during the pandemic, such as when people attempted to resell items like hand sanitizer and masks. 

It’s extremely distasteful for someone to do that, especially with items as mentioned previously at the beginning of the pandemic. At that time, those were essentials that people needed at the time in order for them to feel safe during a crisis. 

Regardless of the moral issues reselling necessities caused, people still continued to do so until they were stopped by the companies. A prime example of this would be when Matt and Noah Calvin decided to hoard 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer and resell them on websites such as Amazon and eBay for an unreasonable amount. 

These companies shut it all down once word got around and issued warnings for others who were considering doing the same. 

The hoarding of these products prevented their use in a time where many people were in desperate need of them. People were not given a choice on what price they paid, they had to pay the price the resellers set because of how critically necessary products like masks and disinfectants were. 

This type of market is currently booming again except it is not hand sanitizer being resold, it is COVID tests. 

With a skyrocketing demand, numerous individuals are desperate to get tested for various reasons. Whether it be to get back to work or to return back to school, a lot of people are in need of a negative result in order to continue with their lives. 

There is a struggle to get tested. People are having to wait in long lines, hoping that there are enough tests so that they can receive one. In many cases, the wait times span hours as test numbers dwindle. These testing lines also assume people have the privilege to wait in them; that they do not have children at home or have a reliable means of transportation to and from, for example. 

Some people are getting tired of waiting. In CNN’s article regarding reselling COVID tests, they mentioned Joey, who did not disclose his last name for privacy reasons. 

Joey, like everyone has, had to get tested for work and could no longer tolerate waiting for one at an urgent care and so he proceeded to bulk buy ones from a friend who works in a health care setting. 

He decided to offer others these test kits on his Facebook and Instagram page, aiding others who were needing to get tested and could no longer afford to wait in the lines. While he is technically selling them, he is not price gouging them like many other resellers are.

In my eyes, Joey is an exception in this mess. He used his position for good and decided that he could do his part and help others who were also struggling. 

In a time of need like this, more people need to be like Joey. He is not looking to make a profit; he did not price gouge any of the test kits he was offering. He was simply offering another way for individuals in his community who needed it to get tested. 

There are some individuals who disagree with him entirely, believing that he will end up profiting off of his actions. 

Joey is not the only one reselling COVID tests; there are many others and they are making a profit off of it. Some saw an opportunity in this ordeal and decided to get some extra cash. 

It is most definitely wrong to price gouge on items that are extremely essential for many individuals, yet that moral thought clearly does not stop people from doing it. People desperately need these tests, so price gouging will not stop them from buying the tests at such a high price. 

The decision to bulk buy these tests and sell them at a much steeper price prays on the vulnerable. Some extra money might be made in the process of reselling them, but it takes advantage of those people who need them. 

Items such as COVID tests should not be resold for a profit, but there should not be an opportunity where this item is so difficult to receive that people have to succumb to buying from resellers. 

There was a clear opportunity for these individuals to resell, and they are beginning to take advantage of it.  

It is no surprise that it has come to this, it was inevitable.