BBB Alert: Coronavirus price gouging is up; consumers should report inflated prices

Milwaukee, Wis. – Price gouging is up over the past week as communities across North America react to COVID-19 (coronavirus), according to the Better Business Bureau®.

BBB has seen an increase in complaints from consumers about price gouging for critical items such as bottled water, hand sanitizer, face masks, and food supplies as “social distancing” restrictions go to effect in many locations. Consumers are urged to report price gouging at BBB.org/AdTruth. The nonprofit organization says it will follow up with companies that have inflated prices in the wake of the crisis and will work with attorneys general and other appropriate agencies to address particularly egregious cases.

Although the legal definition of price gouging varies by jurisdiction, BBB says raising prices to an unreasonable extent beyond a business’s own increased costs is a violation of its Standards for Trust, which encourages businesses to build trust through honesty, transparency, and integrity. BBB suggests business owners and managers use its Standards for Trust as best practices for operating under the current restrictions (BBB.org/Standards-for-Trust).

The BBB adapted it standards for marketplace trust to the coronavirus pandemic:

• Build Trust—Refrain from taking unfair advantage of a public emergency such as the coronavirus situation. As much as possible, keep prices at a reasonable level. Consider your daily operations as business-as-usual but with the adjustments required to help prevent the virus from spreading.
• Advertise Honestly—Do not fuel fears. More than anything, you need to act as a calming and reassuring partner to your customers. Continue with standard ethical advertising practices but add a reference that you’re following public health protocols to stem the transmission of the virus.
• Tell the Truth—The virus may impact deliverables. Be honest with your customers regarding timelines and product availability. Set realistic expectations if your delivery or service is impacted by illness or precautions. Set clear expectations with your customers. They will respect that you are thinking about them and taking this seriously.
• Be Transparent/Honor Promises—If you are unable to fulfill commitments, communicate immediately with your customers, rather than disappointing them and having to rationalize the reasons after the fact. Work with your customers to find solutions.
• Be Responsive/Embody Integrity—Demonstrate purpose and support for your community. Businesses can play a vital role in maintaining strong communities, even in challenging times.

For more consumer and business tips on the topic, go to BBB.org/Coronavirus and follow on social media using #BBBDelivers.

For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to BBB more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org. There are local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico, including BBB Serving Wisconsin which was founded in 1939 and serves the state of Wisconsin.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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