The office of the attorney general recently stopped illegal price gouging by Scranton based Goods And More Incorporated, an Amazon.com third-party seller.
The company was selling 12-ounce bottles of Purell hand sanitizer for as much as $39.00 each and 24-packs of 2-ounce bottles of Assured hand sanitizer for as much as $109.99 per package.
A price increase of more than 20 percent during a declared state of emergency is considered price gouging, according to the state’s Price Gouging Act.
“We won’t tolerate illegal price gouging during this emergency, and we’re taking action every day to stop it—here in Scranton and across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvanians need security and financial protection right now, especially when so many have lost wages and 30 percent of our residents are out of work,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “You have a right in Pennsylvania to purchase life-saving goods at reasonable prices, whether in store or online.”
Shapiro urged residents to report suspected price gouging.
Goods And More will be required to pay $192.50 in court costs, $1,900 in civil penalties, and $13,901.48 in restitution. The company also agreed to fully comply with the Price Gouging Act.
Consumers who purchased certain types of hand sanitizer on Amazon from Goods And More will be refunded.