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NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on efforts to stop price gouging after the hurricane.
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Why yes he -- election's over we're all gonna come together now.
So -- know that you heard a lot of touching stories about people who sacrifice time and money to help out after the storm but it didn't bring out the best in everyone never does right.
Listen -- this in new York New Jersey there have been more than 2300.
Reports a price gouging.
On everything from gas to food and water.
Just in ten days authorities take these claims very seriously and joining me now on the Fox Business six this.
Your attorney general.
-- -- -- -- Is investigating hundreds of claims of post storm price gouging throughout New York State thank you so much for joining us had to be here this.
Serious problem right now right I -- commodities are -- that are scarce resources are scarce that there are people out there trying to take advantage.
They are we've gotten as you said hundreds of complaints.
We put out a warning the day before the storm going vendors attention to the price gouging law.
And now we're following up and we're urging everyone to go to war website at WWW.
-- dot AG -- NY dot org.
Our counterparts in New Jersey are forcing their law and if you see prices spike dramatically not going up by.
A few cents but if prices are -- -- and 50% or a 100% more than they were the week before the storm.
Call it -- it could be got.
Yeah anyway what is your definition gouging because to a certain extent the market is the market if there is no gas out there to -- had somebody wants to charge double.
And if the market will bear and people are buying it why is it damaging.
Well that's -- very important point our statute prohibits unconscionable increases on -- chest -- and interpreted to mean something that.
Really doesn't reflect the supply and demand it reflects something that goes way beyond any increase in -- -- -- some very important point -- most of the merchants out there.
Have been doing the right thing they view their customers -- folks they want as long term customers are looking at a very.
Small number if you think of all of the hundreds of thousands of businesses in the area affected by the storm.
Very small number of folks and there always are after natural disaster restored after Hurricane Irene we've seen in other places who try to victimized the victims.
And that's what we're trying to stop places where.
You've got batteries -- -- really was no disruption of supply that all of a sudden they're selling for three times what they and some appalling things that we've seen -- in Craig's list was a place that you were patrolling where people were selling gas all right -- what kinds of things to -- say.
Well we have we have.
Been pursuing folks no matter where they go -- there were at showing up on Craig's list for gasoline for ten dollars fifteen dollars a gallon.
-- -- -- we're going wherever they are the important thing here is for people to understand.
Don't panic supplies are all coming back very rapidly your regular merchants who do business with you every day -- gonna have -- supplies back.
And and these folks were gonna catch what if it's not worth it to them.
Don't try to get out New Yorkers have big -- as they are quite.
Right because you're calling their holly and complain they're not gonna -- -- in situations -- -- -- when you see something like -- on Craig's list.
And he is it real well they've really give you the gas for ten dollars a gallon is -- -- gas and -- what is that at.
It's a good question if you doing business with anyone -- -- is not a regular merchant used to you're also taking the chance -- they're not legitimate at all -- urging people.
Never respond.
To email solicitations from folks who haven't heard of telephone solicitations of folks who haven't heard -- There are a lot of folks posing as contractors to help people clear trees and things like that he got a check references you gotta get written estimates make sure they have an address and a phone number where they prey on people who were panic and and the -- people who are anxious.
We -- urging everyone just take a pause.
Take a few extra steps to protect yourself and call in any illegality to -- Generally and gouging -- state contractors -- -- -- they gonna do the work -- -- you crazy manner they scam artists that are coming in to take your money and evaporate some of both what we're finding is that there's some folks who really aren't contractors at all they don't have licenses which.
First of all could be.
Be dangerous but second of all were funny folks who just aren't trained to do the work so -- people who -- hiring folks who are not gonna do.
Good job not follow the precautions and the licensed contractors.
They're booked their overbooked they're trying to catch up their hiring more people everyone just.
Has to take a little moments breath when you get an offer that's too good to be -- where it it's not it's probably -- -- -- -- counting on for have a yet this is something that we've not really seen before because this storm.
As -- yeah term affect -- -- of and it's going on longer than you met most natural disasters even food -- -- Gouging on -- is we have reports of you know charging.
Huge rates for books of matches and boxes of matches.
Potatoes.
That's you know something we've never seen before I and a New Yorkers are sort of -- IEA it's so hard for me to believe that people -- here often asked by you know you've got to -- -- their patrol and and luckily things are getting back to normal here -- getting back to now most merchants are doing the right thing and New Yorkers continue to report the folks were -- we're gonna get them.
Mr.
attorney general thank you for coming -- we appreciate.
