Price Gouging? ‘Right Now, We Are Out Of Any Hand Sanitizer’

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is pursuing an aggressive campaign against businesses over what her office deems to be instances of price gouging. She has also warned consumers to “be vigilant.”

To tell the public about one enforcement action, the Office of the Attorney General released a letter sent it to an Ann Arbor firm in the cleaning supplies business. The letter accused the business of selling hand sanitizer at a price high enough to make it an “unlawful business practice.” The company allegedly posted an advertisement on Twitter offering the product at a price of $60 for a 12-ounce bottle.

“Given the well-known fears surrounding Coronavirus, it is apparent your store was seeking to position itself to profit from an evolving public health emergency,” the letter read.

On its website, the company responded: “Right now, we are out of any hand sanitizer.”

The business also stated that someone posted a wrong price on the hand sanitizers and it was a mistake.