North Carolina’s price gouging laws in effect for coronavirus. What does that mean?
When North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Tuesday in response to the coronavirus, the state’s price gouging laws went into effect.
Stores in some areas hit by COVID-19 have seen runs on products like toilet paper and face masks, although health officials have urged people to avoid panic buying.
In Raleigh, shoppers have rushed to stock up on hand sanitizer, The News & Observer reported.
Laws that prohibit price gouging are meant to protect consumers from paying too much for necessities.
“It is illegal to charge excessive prices during a state of emergency,” N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein said in a news release. “If you see businesses taking advantage of this crisis, let my office know and we will work to hold them accountable.”
You can report possible price gouging by calling 1-877-5-NOSCAM or going online to ncdoj.gov/complaint.
Many North Carolina residents are used to hearing about price gouging laws after a hurricane, but the rules work the same way in cases such as a public health emergency.
A consumer advocacy group monitoring prices on Amazon for things like surgical masks and sanitizing wipes said the cost for some items rose by 220%.
“When people need something to stay healthy and prevent the spread of a potentially-deadly virus, merchants should follow the Golden Rule, not the money,” said U.S. PIRG Education Fund Consumer Watchdog Adam Garber.
“The prices for more than half the examined products spiked by at least 50% compared to the average price. At times, the cost of these products would spike 2.3 times higher than the 90-day average and in total the 30-day average climbed 18.5 percent since the WHO declaration,” the group said in a news release.
“Price gouging protections generally go into effect in a state of emergency, but it’s often tough for local authorities to enforce such statutes with so many products for sale online,” the group said.
A store in New York was just fined for hiking prices on hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes, according to NBC New York.
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 2:29 PM.
