MIAMI (WSVN) - As fears of the coronavirus grow amid its woldwide spread, officials in Florida are monitoring price gouging to prevent buyers from getting ripped off.
The possibility of the virus spreading to South Florida has some people looking to buy face masks, and several consumers have filed complaints to alert the state of Florida of possible price gouging.
“I think people should not allow fear to drive these purchases,” Miami-Dade Consumer Protection spokesperson Bryant Acevedo said. “I think people should be aware of what these masks cost and not pay astronomical amounts for them.”
The virus has caused stocks to sink for a fifth straight day, and concern over getting sick has led to a worldwide shortage of face masks. The virus has affected at least 56 countries, and the World Health Organization said the risk of it spreading even further is very high.
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Florida’s price gouging law bars businesses from selling essential items during a state of emergency that “grossly exceed” the average price.
However, Florida has not declared a state of emergency, so the price gouging law is not in effect. Despite that, the Florida Attorney General’s office said they have received nine consumer complaints about face masks.
One complaint included a screenshot from Tuesday, showing prices for a pack of 40 masks ranging from $199 to $329 available on Amazon. On Friday, the same masks were priced at nearly $580.
The website Keepa tracks prices on Amazon, and on their site it is easy to see how prices for many disposable masks have skyrocketed. For example, a box of 50 masks was about $40 for most of February. A few days ago, the price shot up to $160.
In a statement to 7News, Amazon said, “There is no place for price gouging on Amazon. We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis and, in line with our long-standing policy, have recently blocked or removed tens of thousands of offers.”
The shipping giant has also removed more than one million products from its site for falsely claiming to cure or protect people from the coronavirus.
“It’s very important for consumers to be educated about what’s out there, the products on the market, what works and what doesn’t,” Acevedo said.
There is no vaccine available yet for the coronavirus, so if someone spots a product claiming otherwise, do not take the bait.
As for the nine complaints filed in Florida, most of them are about prices consumers have seen on Amazon.
The Florida Attorney General’s office said they have contacted the company about the consumers’ complaints.
If you would like to file a report for price gouging, call 1-866-966-7226 or visit www.myflorida.com.
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