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1. A good example/read why frontline responders aren't getting PPE. It's a $100B up for grabs this year that appeared 4 weeks ago = scammers preying on desperation. It's worse than the crypto craze. https://www.ocregister.com/2020/04/11/coronavirus-orange-county-has-been-waiting-nearly-a-month-for-a-million-n95-masks-it-ordered/
2. There's new "middle-men" that get POs from states/hospitals before they know if they can get product. Then they jump in this whatsapp groups or thru their network ask around to then find sources. They try to get 40-80% markups
3. They then don't deliver, & cause more damage since . the 2 weeks hospital lost not getting product when they cant deliver. But now state/hospital definitely won't do 50% upfront now for fear of being burned. Opaqueness of costs/process
4.The market in china 50% upfront, to 100% upfront in china. But US states/hospitals etc are Net 60, net 30 (pay after it arrives). So it's a stalemate because in a way they are right to not get scammed.But when legitimate folks can source they are now gunshy
5. So now there are dozens of states who have yet to order any PPE as they don't' know who to trust. Now new "PO financing" i.e factoring folks are looking around to fill gap with 20-30% interest for the 3 weeks of PO financing.
6. It's wild wild west, hoping to help fix this opaqueness to increase speed of PPE to frontlines, but also price transparency of actual costs to keep profiteering out & drive market to normalize.
