Amid record-breaking heat in Canada, people making quick money by selling overpriced fans, ACs
Jun 30, 2021
Ottawa [Canada], July 1 : Amid the record-breaking heat in Canada, some people are trying to make a quick buck by selling high-priced fans, and air conditioners online as people are seeking relief from the sweltering summer.
Hundreds of people have died since the heatwave began to hit the western part of the country last week. The heatwave saw stores in British Columbia (BC) sell out of air conditioners and fans. Hotels in Vancouver were fully booked on Monday, drawing locals desperate for escape, CBC reported.
Local stores are selling out of air conditioners at a fast rate and installers have been swamped with up to four times as much business as usual.
As the extreme weather condition is expected to continue, Ryan Wandler, vice-president of Knight Plumbing and Heating, said that people are in "panic" mode. "It definitely surpasses what we've ever seen before, so (it's) definitely an extreme circumstance."
Amid the surge in demand, few people have reportedly listed fans and portable A/C's online for more than double their retail price.
"Some fans and portable A/C's are being listed online for more than double their retail price as people try to make a quick dollar during a heatwave," a local news reporter Monika Gul tweeted.
"People also trying to escape the heat by getting a hotel. On http://Booking.com, about 80 per cent of places in Vancouver are unavailable for tonight (the red dots are fully booked). In Burnaby, 90 per cent of places are spoken for," Gul said in a subsequent tweet.
Another user on Twitter said, "As some people try to take advantage of those trying to beat the heat, one local buy and sell group on Facebook Marketplace is taking action."
The thermometer in British Columbia hit 46.67 degrees Celsius on Sunday, breaking an 84-year heat record. Meanwhile, other cities in British Columbia have reported a high number of sudden deaths.
