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They also threatened to nail gougers.
The state Division of Consumer Affairs sent warning letters Thursday to 10 retailers suspected of significantly inflating prices of items associated with the current concerns related to COVID-19, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
The letters warned retailers that New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) protects consumers from "gross and unreasonable inflation of the price of any product in response to concerns about a public health event," such as the current spread of the coronavirus.
“We have a simple message to businesses seeking to profit from public health fears: Don’t do it,” Grewal said. "If you do, we will hold you accountable.”
The letters, sent to a combination of internet retailers and brick-and-mortar businesses across the state, also warn that New Jersey’s CFA prohibits false and misleading statements related to the efficacy of products to cure or prevent diseases.
Excessive price increases are defined as more than 10% higher than the price of merchandise during the normal course of business prior to the current state of emergency, he said.
“We are asking Bergen and Passaic County residents to report any merchants that dramatically increase prices for surgical masks, gloves, sanitizing products such as hand sanitizer, Lysol/Clorox wipes and sprays in an apparent attempt to take unfair advantage of a health emergency,” Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said Thursday.
Amazon said it removed tens of thousands of items for sale because of price gouging -- including a container of Clorox wipes that were marked up five times the usual cost, to $27.00 and a two-pack of Purell that one Daily Voice reader said was listed at a whopping $80.
Health officials have urged citizens to wash hands and surfaces with household disinfectant to help stop the virus from spreading.
In New Jersey, price gougers can be fined up to $10,000 for the first offense and $20,000 for the second and subsequent offenses. Each individual sale of merchandise is considered a separate and distinct event.
Consumers who suspect price gouging and other COVID-19 related fraud should contact the state Division of Consumer Protection immediately at (201) 336-6400.
Investigators are ready to take immediate action to protect consumers.
Leave your name, contact information, nature of the complaint, and the name of the business and location.
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