New York Attorney General Letitia James issued an alert Friday warning businesses against price gouging on essential goods as severe weather hits communities across New York. A statewide state of emergency has been declared as heavy rains and winds move through the state and flooding, power outages and tornadoes are possible from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. New York’s anti-price gouging law prevents businesses from taking advantage of consumers by selling essential goods or services at an excessively high price during market disruptions or emergencies. Attorney General James is urging New Yorkers who notice higher prices on essential goods and services to report it to her office.
“Families are understandably concerned as heavy rains, extreme winds, and even tornado warnings move through the state,” said Attorney General James. “Businesses cannot take advantage of today’s extreme weather to raise prices on New Yorkers trying to get to safety and stock up on supplies. I urge anyone who sees higher than normal prices on essential items to contact my office immediately. As this storm moves through, I urge all New Yorkers to take the necessary precautions to stay safe.”
New York State law prohibits businesses from unfairly exploiting consumers in emergency situations by selling goods or services vital to health, safety, or welfare at an unreasonably high price. The anti-price gouging law applies to New York vendors, retailers, and suppliers and covers essential goods and services necessary to the health, safety, and welfare of consumers or the general public. These goods and services include food, water, gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel accommodations, and transportation.
If consumers wish to report price gouging to the Attorney General’s Office, they should:
- Specify the specific price increases and the dates and locations where the price increases were observed.
- Provide copies of purchase receipts and photographs of advertised prices, if available.
Violations of price gouging can result in fines of up to $25,000 per violation. should report possible concerns about price gouging to the OAG by filing a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.
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