New York Attorney General Letitia James ton Wednesday issued an alert warning businesses against price gouging of essential items as severe weather impacts communities throughout New York.
A state of emergency has been declared by Gov. Kathy Hochul for the entire state as tornadoes touched down in parts of Central New York and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers experience power outages and disruptions.
According to a news release from James’ office, New York’s price gouging statute prevents businesses from taking advantage of consumers by selling essential goods or services at an excessively higher price during market disruptions or emergencies. James urged New Yorkers who see higher prices on essential goods and services to report the issue to her office.
“When severe weather hits, New Yorkers should be able to stock up on essential supplies without worrying that they will be overcharged by businesses taking advantage of a crisis,” James said. “I encourage anyone who experiences price gouging to report the problem to my office so we can take appropriate action. With excessive heat and now extreme weather impacting communities throughout our state, I urge New Yorkers to be vigilant against price gouging, to check on vulnerable relatives, friends, and neighbors, and to above all, be safe.”
New York law prohibits businesses from taking “unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services that are vital to health, safety, or welfare for an unconscionably excessive price during emergencies,” the release stated. The price gouging statute covers state vendors, retailers and suppliers, and includes essential goods and services that are necessary for the health, safety and welfare of consumers or the general public. Those goods and services include food, water, gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel lodging and transportation options.
When reporting price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General consumers should report the specific increased prices, dates, and places that they saw the increased prices; and provide copies of their sales receipts and photos of the advertised prices, if available, the release stated.
Price gouging violations can carry penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to OAG by filing a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.