Posted on 03/08/2020 5:56:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Officials over the weekend put businesses on notice, warning that price gouging on cleaning and sanitizing products would not be tolerated Published 3 hours ago • Updated 43 mins ago
A hardware store in Manhattan was fined for hiking prices on products like hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes, cleaning products popular in recent weeks to prevent or ward off the spread COVID-19.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have both issued warnings to businesses in recent days that price gouging would be severely fined. According to de Blasio's office, stores found to be overcharging consumers will be issued a violation with a fine up to $500.
Scheman and Grant Hardware on W 38th Street in Manhattan was accused of hiking up the prices of disinfecting sprays, wipes and hand sanitizer.
"They have been fined. This is unacceptable," de Blasio said at a press conference Sunday. "Price gouging will be acted upon. This is a crisis, not a time to profit."
Scheman and Grant was closed Sunday, but a list of prices was posted on the store's door. Clorox and Lysol sprays were being sold for $20, while a three pack of wipes posted at nearly $40.
Along with the high prices, the store had a notice posted telling customers to check the prices before buying the products because the hardware store would not be accepting returns.
Cuomo also spoke to the price gouging and the business's efforts, suggesting on Saturday that the retailer tried to charge $80 for a bottle of hand sanitizer.
“I want businesses to be aware that you can lose your license because of price gouging,” the governor said. “Not only is it disrespectful, it’s also illegal. And you will be caught.”
Timeline: Tracking the Spread of COVID-19 in Tri-State
On Friday, Cuomo said he would direct AG Letitia James to investigate instances of price gouging of surgical masks and other materials. And on Saturday, Cuomo made an emergency disaster declaration which, among other things, allows the state to investigate and penalize those price gouging medical and sanitary supplies.
Out on Long Island, government officials condemned reports of widespread price gouging.
"We’ve seen this before with Sandy. Prices were raised astronomically and unfairly. Now we’re seeing this with the resources made to keep people safe from the coronavirus," said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
To report incidents of price gouging to the New York State Attorney General’s office please call 1-800-697-1220.
The re entry period for area of application was 8 hours...one of the reasons it was pulled from retail.
Do not know if it can still be found in the commercial market.
I used it in my offices and waiting room once a week back then.
As Petyr Baelish said: “Chaos is a ladder.”
None of the government’s business what a seller charges for their goods & services (unless that entity is a monopolistic regulated Public Utility.).
(but then, Baelish did end up with his throat slit by the little sister of a dissatisfied customer, so there is that downside of being a cutthroat profiteer.... sometimes you are a cutthroat profiteer, sometimes you meet someone with a sharper knife.)
I bet Cuomo and Wilhelm won’t go after the hospitals when they raise their prices when the stuff they need to treat coronavirus patients becomes rarer and rarer.
In southcentral Pennsylvania the Rutters' convenience stores spiked the price of gas by 50 cents/gallon on 9/11/01.
Haven't bought gas there again--EVER!
Some patriots ran toward the burning building and gave their all.
Other scumbags seized an opportunity to take a profit.
NEVER FORGET ping!
Morons. Prices are the right way to have supply keep up with demand and keep people from buying more than they need.
I guess Cuomo and DeBlasio didn’t get their cut of the raised prices.
Try Dollar Tree stores and similarly named ones (Dollar General, Dollar Store, etc). I got some there at very low prices.
Rubbing alcohol is tough to find in the Dallas area. Prices are going up on eBay.
An anomaly...?
Got mine a few days ago for one dollar each at one of those stores. But the 11 oz bottle was an off brand. The mixture looks so simple I don’t think brand quality matters much.
So true
Buy when blood is running in the streets.
Only my wife can steal 850 million and get away with it
One aspect that is ignored in these stories is the REPLACEMENT COST for the merchant selling the goods. Even if he paid $1 for bottles of cleanser, if he’ll have to pay $4 each to replace them, why not let him charge that?
That is the logic used with gas prices; the price paid for the fuel stored in the tanks (and being sold) is not the only consideration of the owner - he has to anticipate how much it will cost to refill those tanks.
Raising prices in times of high demand and low supply is wise and in reality is the law.
The media hype for this disease is scaring people into panic buying. So when they find hand sanitizer at $4 a bottle, they buy 20 bottles, a 3X lifetime supply. Since there were only 25 bottles on the shelf, the next guy buys them and everyone else gets nothing. The greedy consigned the late to a painful death due to lack of hand sanitizer.
However, if the wise store owner raises the price to $10, buyer one quells the panic and buys 2 bottles, as does buyer 2. Thus saving lives.
Lesson in economics 101 is over Comrade Bill
And you have absolutely no idea how retail actually works
A bargain compared to what NYers could have got them for on Amazon at this point.
Ironically, the reason they can price gouge is because of all the knee-jerk folks trying to ‘corner the market” by buying up years worth of product “just in case”
Masks are only really effective when worn by a sick person and well people 9I use the term loosely) have bought up the supplies so they aren’t available for those who it would be most beneficial for them to be wearing...a sick person can reduce odds of transmission though coughs and sneezes by about 90% - a well person can reduce his chances of getting it from a cough or sneeze by about 10%...
Medical staff wears them during certain periods to keep from infecting patients and each other if something is running around - not to prevent getting something.
Some wretch also killed DDT back in Nixon days thank you very much.
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