New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued an alert warning businesses against price gouging of essential items as severe weather impacts communities across the state. A state of emergency has been declared for New York due to heavy rain and winds, with potential flooding, outages, and tornadoes caused by remnants of Tropical Storm Debby.
Attorney General James emphasized that New York’s price gouging statute prevents businesses from exploiting consumers by selling essential goods or services at excessively higher prices during market disruptions or emergencies. She urged residents to report any instances of price increases on essential goods and services to her office.
“Families are understandably concerned as severe rain, excessive wind, and even tornado warnings pass through the state,” said Attorney General James. “Businesses cannot take advantage of today’s extreme weather to increase prices on New Yorkers trying to stay safe and stock up. I encourage anyone who sees higher than normal prices on essential items to contact my office immediately. As this storm passes through, I urge all New Yorkers to take necessary precautions to stay safe.”
New York law prohibits businesses from unfairly taking advantage of consumers by selling goods or services vital to health, safety, or welfare at unconscionably excessive prices during emergencies. The statute applies to vendors, retailers, and suppliers in New York and covers essential goods and services such as food, water, gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel lodging, and transportation options.
When reporting price gouging to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), consumers should provide specific details about increased prices along with dates and locations where they observed these increases. They are also encouraged to submit copies of sales receipts and photos of advertised prices if available.
Violations of the price gouging statute can result in penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. Concerns about price gouging can be reported online or by calling 800-771-7755.