One of the stations in our area was charging $6 a gallon and homeland security fined them $100,000. We did not witness this personally, but heard it from one of the homeland guys at another station.
This morning there is a station in New Canaan selling 93 for 4.999 per gallon. There were only a few cars. However, gas in that town is likely that price no matter what.
Gas has been scarce in NJ, but when we've been able to find it, it ihas pretty much been normal price (i think it was $3.76 for regular last night). I don't know where they draw the line on gouging, but homeland security is out and will hit them with serious fines. A guy in the gas line behind me said he saw a Home Depot employee standing outside the home depot, still in his HD uniform, trying to sell a $400 generator for $1000 (apparently the emplyee bought the last one to resell it).
The disruption of business to gas stations, businesses that barely make a few pennies on the dollar, has to be a factor. I have no problem with prices spiking under such circumstances. Not only does it give the ailing business a chance to survive but it drastically curtails usage, waiting lines, complicity, etc. Oh, and a person should have the right to do with his property as he damn well pleases, the rest of us having the right and obligation to treat him accordingly in the long term.
Where do you draw the line? Water for $80 gallon. Baby formula $800 per bottle. Price gouging is illegal for reasons. We are not talking about normal supply/demand situations.
I know someone who bought a generator off the back of a truck for $3000. On the Northern Tool website, they sell the same generator for $600. It was a 5000 watt Powermate or some brand like that, made in China. It ran for 3 days and then died. The engine ran, but the power head burned out. Nice, now go get it fixed. Apparently, the seller had taken a panel truck out to Ohio, loaded it up with every generator he could get his hands on, and was selling them for whatever he could get. I haven't seen price gouging with gas around here; just long lines. But that seems to be easing up a bit now that power is back on in more places and stations are getting more supply. Most stations have police on hand to avoid problems.
I could see that - I thought there were provisions in place to prevent gouging. Certainly in NJ there are. [THREAD JACk] love MVDESQ's pug! [/THREAD JACK]
Late Saturday night/early Sunday morning paid $4.50 a gallon credit for regular. Seems to be the highest I have seen it up until this morning. Before the storm regular was $3.89 credit. I wouldn't say an increase of 15% - 16% is gouging.
308 distributor caps for $400... okay so maybe water at $80 a gallon is a bit high but what if its from Marelli
OTOH, if the guy didn't think he could get a couple $K for a generator, he'd never had made the trip to Ohio to get 'em, and there'd have been no generator available here at all.
All true. The thread is "price gouging". Charging $3K for a $600 generator is price gouging, even if you take into consideration that the guy drove out to Ohio and bought them and drove them back to NJ. Some people may call that being enterprising. Okay, $1200 is making a nice profit. But a 500% markup? That gouging in my book. My friend was desperate, and he paid for it. That is the point of gouging -- finding people in desperate need of something and charging outrageous prices to take advantage of the situation.
Price gouging is when a gas station, in a time of crisis, increases the price to take advantage of customers on something they need. So yes, if a grocery store increased the cost of bottle water 500% I 'd agree that is gouging. But a generator is a luxury item, and certainly he could have waited in line at Home Depot hoping to get one.
