While states warn against price gouging, sellers say they’re just covering their costs and meeting demand.
Until recently, the pharmacy was able to get single swab test kits for $11 each, Crayon said earlier this month, but its vendor is now selling them for $18. That's raised customer prices from $16 to $25,"just to see kind of a profit back," he said.
Azhari said that on top of the higher prices he's seen from vendors, he has to pay extra for expedited shipping, which adds to the ultimate cost for the customer. He said express shipping alone for an order for 200 double swab test kits could cost at least $600. In New York, the AG's office told CNBC that retailers accused of price gouging have the opportunity to provide evidence that their own prices have increased.
Shah's taken to selling packages of sick day essentials, combining Covid at-home tests with goods like a thermometer, tissues, masks, hand sanitizer and Gatorade on food delivery apps. The packages sell for $59.99 to as much as $124.99 depending on what combination of goodies buyers select, and they include two tests a piece.
Berkowitz said he's lost nearly $5 million in deposits from more than 10 different test shipments he placed last year that never showed up. And while his testing business remains profitable even with those losses, he said it takes a lot of vetting to find reliable sources for tests. And even then it's still possible to get scammed.