HARRISBURG”Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has shut down price gouging efforts at Honey Bee Gourmet Deli in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“We won’t tolerate illegal price gouging during this emergency, and we’re taking action every day to stop it—here in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanians need security and financial protection right now, especially when so many have lost wages and millions are out of work.” said Attorney General Shapiro. “No matter how you slice it–Pennsylvanians have a right to purchase life-saving goods at reasonable prices in times like these. 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 so we can put a stop to price gouging.”
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with Honey Bee Gourmet Deli after the Office received tips alleging that the store was selling KN95 face masks for unlawful prices. The Office learned that the business offered 1,050 face masks for sale at $8.00/each, with minor decreases in price if consumers purchased more than one mask.
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 Honey Bee Gourmet Deli to pay restitution to all consumers who purchased the KN95 face masks and to fully comply with all provisions of the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law and Price Gouging Act moving forward.
Consumers who purchased KN95 face masks from Honey Bee Gourmet Deli may be eligible for restitution if they paid more than they should have. In order to be considered for restitution, consumers should file a consumer complaint form (put in hyperlink to the complaint form) and attach a copy of their receipt showing they purchased the KN95 face masks between March 6, 2020 and July 14, 2020. Complaints must be submitted by September 14, 2020 to be considered.
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