HARRISBURG”Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with Sun Wholesale, Inc., a New Jersey wholesaler, after receiving tips that the supplier was selling hand sanitizer to Pennsylvania businesses for resale to consumers for unlawful prices. OAG’s investigation found Sun Wholesale sold 389 units of “Wish” hand sanitizer for $17.00 per 33.8 oz. bottle.
“Since the start of the public health emergency in Pennsylvania, my office has been working to stop price gouging wherever it happened. Ripping off people for hand sanitizer when they need it most is cynical and illegal,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “I want to remind Pennsylvanians and small businesses that you have a right to purchase life-saving goods at reasonable prices during this emergency. If you see suspicious price increases on products like groceries and medicine, I encourage you to email pricegouging@attorneygeneral.gov and fill out a complaint form.”
Under the Price Gouging Act, a price increase of more than 20 percent during a declared state of emergency is considered price gouging. The AVC requires Sun Wholesale to pay $750.00 in civil penalties, in addition to restitution of $1,878.87 for consumers who purchased the hand sanitizer. Sun Wholesale, Inc. also agreed to fully comply with all provisions of the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law and Price Gouging Act moving forward.
Consumers who purchased 33.8 oz. bottles of “Wish” hand sanitizer from any of the Pennsylvania businesses listed below may be eligible for restitution if they paid more than they should have:
- 58th Street Food Market, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- 7-11 Old City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- A&A Grocery Store, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Carpenter Mini Market, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Jay’s Deli, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Jay Street Food Market, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- JC Food Market, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Jim’s Mini Market, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Juan Mini Market Inc., Hazleton, Pennsylvania;
- La Poblanita Grocery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Liberty Gas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Luna Distributor, LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- Roberto Grocery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
- South Philly Grocery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
- Tray’s Wholesale, Inc., Hamburg, Pennsylvania.
In order to be considered for restitution, consumers should file a consumer complaint form and attach a copy of their receipt showing they purchased the hand sanitizer between March 6, 2020, and September 10, 2020. Complaints must be submitted by November 9, 2020 to be considered.
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