The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the ugly side of economics. Some people have taken advantage of the market and stockpiled valuable supplies in order to make a profit. Unfortunately for those who actually need hand sanitizer, toilet paper and other cleaning products, store shelves have been emptied out by profiteers.
But in the case of one Australian man, his decision backfired in a major way. And it cost him $10,000.
Newsweek reported that one man had a team of people buying essential items at a Drakes supermarket once COVID-19 became a worldwide pandemic. He shockingly stockpiled $10,000 worth of toilet paper and hand sanitizer with the idea of flipping the items for a massive profit on eBay.
A supermarket boss has publicly shamed a stockpiler as frustration over the supply of certain products continues to grow. It is claimed the man tried to return thousands of rolls of toilet paper and hundreds of litres of hand sanitiser for a refund. @elise_baker_ #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/TrQDb1XrPC
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) April 14, 2020
However, once eBay and other companies began realizing that sellers were trying to engage in price gouging, they quickly put a stop to it. So with a ton of capital invested on the products, the toilet paper hoarder tried to get a refund. Only John-Paul Drake, the director of Drakes Supermarkets in Australia, wasn’t going to put up with it.
“I had my first customer yesterday who said he wanted to get a refund on 150 packets of 32-pack toilet paper and 150 units of one-liter [hand] sanitizer,” said John-Paul Drake, director of Drakes Supermarkets in Australia. “I told him that,” Drake said, showing his middle finger to the camera. Bless.
While refusing the refund isn’t a normal form of good customer service, the heroic act proved that there are still good people left in the world looking out for others.
Love this! He is standing up to these hoarders! Amen
— FRANCESCA Designs (@GirlvDesign) April 17, 2020
The issue isn’t just native to Australia. Two Tennessee brothers dropped a ton of money on thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and medical masks with the intent of reselling. That plan got squashed and they are being investigated by the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.
While there are plenty of people trying to tag advantage of others during the coronavirus pandemic, luckily there are also heroes like the grocery store clerk who are making those bad people pay.
Do you have customer service experience? What was the craziest encounter you had at work?
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