Tennessee man says he will donate 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer he tried to upcharge

HICKSON, Tenn. (WZTV) - A Hickson man who purchased 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer during the coronavirus outbreak for upcharge and was stuck with the inventory is now claiming he will donate the items to good causes.

Matt Colvin, who gained national attention following an interview with the New York Times, says he will be donating the hand sanitizer to a local church and first responders.

"The Hand Sanitizer in the NYT story is being donated to a local church and first responders tomorrow," Colvin posted on the domain "MattColvin.com."

The announcement comes after the Tennessee Attorney General's Office ordered Colvin and his brother, Noah Colvin, to stop and desist in their buying and selling of medical goods and products during the coronavirus pandemic.

Matt Colvin told the New York Times that he and his brother purchased large quantities of hand sanitizer and he intended to list them on Amazon. He said he initially posted 300 bottles and sold them at prices between $8 and $70 each, far more than what he paid for them.

Amazon pulled his items and thousands of other listings for sanitizer, wipes and face masks, suspending some of the sellers and warning others that, if they sold the items at higher values, they'd lose their accounts.

Colvin then attempted to list the products on eBay, which soon followed stricter measures for sales of masks or sanitizer. He says he's now stuck with 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer as others struggle to find them in stores.

“It’s been a huge amount of whiplash,” Colvin told the New York Times. “From being in a situation where what I’ve got coming and going could potentially put my family in a really good place financially to ‘What the heck am I going to do with all of this?’”

Data compiled by the New York Times showed that both Amazon and third-party sellers successfully sold items at increased prices, with customers seeking to purchase the items in large amounts, prior to the website changing guidelines for coronavirus related items.

Colvin, a former Air Force technical sergeant, said he began selling items on Amazon, creating a six-figure career by selling Nike shoes, pet toys and following trends.