The Office of the Attorney General has announced they’ve received dozens of complaints of price gouging amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Attorney General William Tong said they’ve received 71 complaints about large price hikes on basic supplies since Governor Ned Lamont announced civil preparedness and public health emergencies last week.
The price gouging has been reported on items such as hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and toilet paper.
The Office of the Attorney General said they’ve received reports of 7.5-ounce hand sanitizer bottles selling for more than $25 and two ounce bottles of hand sanitizer selling for $10 at gas stations and stores.
Consumers have also reported higher than usual prices on things like toilet paper and disinfectant wipes, Attorney General Tong said. In some cases, 30-packs of toilet paper were selling for $39.99 and three-packs of disinfectant wipes were selling for nearly $40.
There are also complaints of price gouging from online vendors, the Office of the Attorney General added.
They have received reports of price hikes on packs of face masks, they said. In one report, a pack of face masks was being sold for $50 with a $200 shipping fee.
“Bad actors are using this pandemic to take advantage of the vulnerable and those who fear for their health and safety. We will not tolerate price gouging during this public health emergency, and we will take aggressive action to stop it,” Attorney General Tong said in part.
When you file your complaint, you should make sure you include accurate information about the company, retail store or online vendor where the suspected price gouging happened including its name and address and the date and time of the instance. You can also submit any photos that show the suspected price hike.
You can also call the Office of the Attorney General at (860) 808-5318 to file a complaint.
The Office of the Attorney General reminds residents that price gouging is against Connecticut law during civil preparedness and public health emergencies.
So far, more than 40 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Connecticut.
