Price Gouging?

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  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
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    I was in a Mex mkt today which was the 1st place I've seen w/tp and bleach since this crisis started and they were definitely price gouging by asking $1 25/roll of tp and $3.29/qt of bleach.

    I have a lot of both and didn't buy any there butcwould have it I needed some because it's so hard to find any elsewhere.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    Katmary71 wrote: »
    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    I noticed a small sign at the entrance of our small local grocery that said that advertised prices in the sales flyer would not be honored. Those flyers are made up months in advance, so I can understand that the sales items might not be available now, but I agree they should honor the prices if the flyers were mailed out to customers or if the price is on the shelf. I haven't checked our usual grocery store (a big chain) to see if they are honoring their sales prices.

    This is making me mad, I usually choose which store to shop at based on sales. If there's ever a time money is tight it's now.

    Yes, I always decide whether to go to Shaw's or Stop & Shop based on their flyers. Market Basket is further away but has great prices, selection, and leadership so I get staples there.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
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    fluffygoodas wrote: »
    AliNouveau wrote: »
    fluffygoodas wrote: »
    Happening in Canada too. Very sneakily too. Normal sale prices higher, or no sales at all, yesterday a high end supermarket got dragged on the news for selling lysol wipes for $29.99. Rationed grocery too. 2 items each for food, 1 paper product. For a large family like mine, i have never spent more money on essentials. Very frustrating given what we are facing.

    This store is like 4 blocks from my house. The mark up there is amazing so some on out community Facebook group were just like what's new? I suspect if its name is dragged through the media much more it will have another "accidental" fire. It's a beautiful store and has some neat stuff but it's really not worth it. Can get the same at No Frills for and eighth of the price

    Yup, I can't believe some people actually bought the wipes for $30!!!

    At that store it's not a surprise. They typically aren't comparison shoppers. It's a lively store to go wander in
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    edited March 2020
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    I imagine some stores are paying workers overtime so they have to make up for this somewhere. I haven’t noticed drastically higher prices on anything around here. I see nothing wrong with stores eliminating sales or charging a bit more. Price gouging is what we see with hand sanitizer where they are selling a $3 bottle for $50 online.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
    edited April 2020
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    I've paid WAY more than MSRP for certain things (mostly non-food) just 2 get them in case I couldn't find them elsewhere which, in certain cases, is what happened.

    Just bought 12# of popcorn kernals online at a fair price because it wasa bulk purchase because I couldn"t find any 1# bags of popcorn that I usually buy in any of the stores or at a reasonable price online.

    I also paid more than normal for some dried apricots, hummus mix and crystalized ginger that I bought online, which I usually buy in bulk for cheap out of open bins in my local mkt but all mkts w/such bins have roped them off because of the Covid-19 crisis.

    Then there were the N95 masks, gallon jugs of 70 & 99% alcohol, vacuum sealer rolls and plastic wrap that I overpaid for because you can't find masks or alcohol anywhere and because Costco, where I normally buy the vacuum sealer rolls and plastic wrap, because their stores are so mobbed that it was worth the extra $ paid just to avoid the time/hassle trying to get them there

    So, was this price gouging? Perhaps but no one twisted my arm to pay the prices asked and I needed what I got and I got what I paid for. So, like it or not, I just call it capitslism.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
    edited April 2020
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    psychod787 wrote: »
    [No, because people panic bought these items, many of us medical personnel are having trouble getting it for our jobs.... I'm out...

    I bought these from online vendors who were not offering 2 give them to anyone.

    I bought 10 masks at $15 each and the 99% alcohol for $80 and the 70% for $60. Few ppl would be willing to pay such prices but I felt that I had to because these have to last me for the duration of the crisis and because you can't buy these things anywhere now.

    The early admonition to not wear masks is chging from you don't need them to @one should wear them all the time when out in public and/or caring for the ill .

    While there are people hoarding them, I am not one of them. I need them for my own protection. What little I have is a drop in the bucket and will not help to fight this crisis but if I do not have them my health and the heslth of others could be jeapordized.

    So, if you want to BLAME anyone for the lack of masks and other PPE blame the Fed & state govts who failed to heed/take proper action to prevent the spread of the virus and to properly mfg, stockpile and distribute PPE once it became apparent they would be needed.

    EOM.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Price gouging laws are the classic way to get shortages.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,977 Member
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    Jruzer wrote: »
    Price gouging laws are the classic way to get shortages.

    Shortages occur when demand exceeds supply (regardless of the reason, hoarding or otherwise) .

    "Price gouging' is a an "ethically" ladened term which implies that "greedy" people are overcharging for a product that people need in order to maximize their profit w/o sympathy or regard for the need of people who cannot afford the price asked

    So,prrice gouging (which people consider despicable and which in certain cases is illegal) is not the cause of shortages but is, in fact, an undesireable consequence of serious product shortages, such as those that we are experiencing now.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    sgt1372 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    [No, because people panic bought these items, many of us medical personnel are having trouble getting it for our jobs.... I'm out...

    I bought these from online vendors who were not offering 2 give them to anyone.

    I bought 10 masks at $15 each and the 99% alcohol for $80 and the 70% for $60. Few ppl would be willing to pay such prices but I felt that I had to because these have to last me for the duration of the crisis and because you can't buy these things anywhere now.

    The early admonition to not wear masks is chging from you don't need them to @one should wear them all the time when out in public and/or caring for the ill .

    While there are people hoarding them, I am not one of them. I need them for my own protection. What little I have is a drop in the bucket and will not help to fight this crisis but if I do not have them my health and the heslth of others could be jeapordized.

    So, if you want to BLAME anyone for the lack of masks and other PPE blame the Fed & state govts who failed to heed/take proper action to prevent the spread of the virus and to properly mfg, stockpile and distribute PPE once it became apparent they would be needed.

    EOM.

    I dont blame anyone in particular. PPE should only really be used on the outside by people who have comorbidities. If you dont, stay away from folks if you can, wash your damn hands, and try and ride this out. I have just had people freak out when I am having to use the same n95 for multiple patients. Let's be honest, not many people in government took this seriously and many companies did not either. Hoarding medical supplies helps no one....
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    sgt1372 wrote: »
    Jruzer wrote: »
    Price gouging laws are the classic way to get shortages.

    Shortages occur when demand exceeds supply (regardless of the reason, hoarding or otherwise) .

    "Price gouging' is a an "ethically" ladened term which implies that "greedy" people are overcharging for a product that people need in order to maximize their profit w/o sympathy or regard for the need of people who cannot afford the price asked

    So,prrice gouging (which people consider despicable and which in certain cases is illegal) is not the cause of shortages but is, in fact, an undesireable consequence of serious product shortages, such as those that we are experiencing now.

    "Price gouging" is not the cause of shortages. Price gouging laws often are. See also: rent control.

    http://economics.fundamentalfinance.com/price-ceiling.php
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
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    OP here and I feel better about my local store now. :blush: They finally sent emails to all who are signed up with them, explaining their reasoning and the way it works regarding sales flyers, prices, etc., during this time. If they'd only done it earlier but then I'm sure they're overly swamped as everyone else is. Our other store, more of a chain store, still supports their sales flyers but it's different because of the size of their operations. My local store only has 3 family run places.

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