Price gouging

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ctowle

Golden Member
Jul 11, 2000
1,142
0
0
Lubbock, Texas - That is in west Texas for those that do not know. It is currently at $1.45/ gallon. Last night some local stations started raising to $3 + a gallon and the DPS (State Troopers) showed up and made them change it back to pre-Tuesday prices.

Good for the state troppers. Lines were incredible all afternoon and night yesterday.People freak out for little reason, and the stations tried to take advantage of this.

That is a shame to capatilize on tragedy.
 

fastz28

Golden Member
Mar 27, 2001
1,794
0
0
Didn't see much price gouge here in Austin.

I think I am feeling more hatred for these people willing to screw their fellow Americans in time of despair than the terrorist.
 
Jun 27, 2001
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Depends on where you go in Dallas/Carrollton. Saw a couple of places that hit $1.49 for 87 octane. The Sam's Club (yes, they sell gas down here) was at $1.38. Went to an Exxon for $1.34 and saw another one at $1.36. Exxon-mobile wasn't kiddin'! Good going guys. You've definitely got my business, that and y'all have good gasoline. :)
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,078
455
136
So far it sounds like there are only isolated incidences of price gouging?

I just woke up so I don't know what Portland's price is but I'm sure it's about the same as yesterday.
 

RSI

Diamond Member
May 22, 2000
7,281
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I don't know how they've been affected just now, but I know it takes $60 for my dad to gas up his van.. that's pretty bad. :( If it were to increase significantly,how would he afford to get around? we'd be broke!
 

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
13
81
one station in Warren, Mi was up to $5 a gallon. Assholes...

evergreen, depends on the state you live in.
 

hungrypete

Diamond Member
Aug 4, 2000
3,001
0
0
Springfield MO
price was 1.59 for cheap stuff yesterday at 8 am. went to 1.89 yesterday evening, back at 1.59 this morning. I hear there were a couple of stations trying to charge 5, but they didn't try it for long.
 

Engineer

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
39,230
701
126
Lexington, KY....

Went from $1.49 to 1.79 yesterday....went back to $1.49 last night...except the BP stations....they all went to $2.00...and the local TV station blasted them on the air.....:)

The anchor said to buy anywhere but there...wonder if BP does commercials on that station...hehe :)
 

Ulfwald

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
May 27, 2000
8,646
0
76
Here in GA, the Georgia Emergency Management Association has said that ANY gas station the participates in price gouging will face heavy fines and jail time, all incidents will be investigated by the GBI.

Price freezes are in effect by all the major oil corporations and distributors.


Just remember this, We will remember those who try and take advantage of this sad day, and we will try and put you out of business, not by force, or threats, but by letting our friends and neighbors know who you rat basstards are, and we will not spend our money there.
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,078
455
136
CNN just said the government vows to prosecute those who price gouge.

If anyone is price gouging in your area I highly recommend taking a picture of the billboard showing their inflated prices make sure your SLR or digital camera has a date stamp on it.
 

Ulfwald

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
May 27, 2000
8,646
0
76
I actually called one of the Corp Offices here in Atlanta today, they said that while prices may rise and fall as normal, they will not participate in price gouging. Normal rise and fall may mean +/- $0.10. So folks, get those cameras out and help out the nation.
 

Goldfish

Platinum Member
Jun 10, 2001
2,157
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<< Lexington, KY....

Went from $1.49 to 1.79 yesterday....went back to $1.49 last night...except the BP stations....they all went to $2.00...and the local TV station blasted them on the air.....:)

The anchor said to buy anywhere but there...wonder if BP does commercials on that station...hehe :)
>>


Another Lexingtonian here, I didn't bother filling up because I know I can get very far on just half a tank of gas. A full tank easily lasts me for 15 days.
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,078
455
136
Went from $1.49 to 1.79 yesterday....went back to $1.49 last night...except the BP stations....they all went to $2.00...and the local TV station blasted them on the air.....

Nothing like being aired on TV as low life scumbags to get them to realize people will be pissed off at them and more importantly they're breaking the law.

;)
 

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
I have two people who want to buy my old video card.
One offeres $40 and the other $100.

Is it wrong to sell the card for $100?

Price "gouging" is the natural result in the free market of increased demand.

It may seem counter intuitive, or evil, but if you have had a course in econ. you can understand better.
 

Pocatello

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,754
2
76
Your buyer wants to buy your videocard for $100. We don't want to pay $4 a gallon, we don't have a choice.
 

Chaotix

Senior member
Jan 1, 2001
293
0
0
When you're buying gas, you don't make the station owner an offer on what you want to pay for the gas. He sets a price and you pay it or you don't. Also, you don't know how much he had to pay for that gas. It's not like you can hop on ebay and see how much something similar is going for.
 

gopunk

Lifer
Jul 7, 2001
29,239
2
0
glen is right. if any one gas station starts charging exorbitant prices, customers will go to the cheaper one. if all the gas stations collaborate so that they can all charge higher prices, thus giving the customer no choice but to pay exorbitant prices, this is called a "trust". and those are illegal.
 

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,078
455
136
Ulfwald - Would you mind editing your original post to include this link to a directory of Attorney Generals? Thanks.

Raspewtin - I would say contact your local Attorney General's office to file a complaint. Take a picture with date stamp if possible for hard evidence.

Here's another list of Attorney General's.

--

Attorney General Directory

Alabama
Honorable William H. (Bill) Pryor, Jr.
Attorney General of Alabama
Office of the Attorney General
State House
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36130
334-242-7300

Alaska
Honorable Bruce M. Botelho
Attorney General of Alaska
Office of the Attorney General
Post Office Box 110300
Dimond Courthouse
Juneau, AK 99811-0300
907-465-3600

American Samoa
Honorable Malaetasi Togafau
Attorney General of American Samoa
Office of the Attorney General
Post Office Box 7
Pago Pago, AS 96799
684-633-4163

Arizona
Honorable Janet Napolitano
Attorney General of Arizona
Office of the Attorney General
1275 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-542-4266

Arkansas
Honorable Mark L. Pryor
Attorney General of Arkansas
Office of the Attorney General
200 Tower Building
323 Center Street
Little Rock, AR 72201-2610
501-682-2007

California
Honorable Bill Lockyer
Attorney General of California
Office of the Attorney General
1300 I Street
Suite 1740
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-324-5437

Colorado
Honorable Ken Salazar
Attorney General of Colorado
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Law
1525 Sherman Street
Denver, CO 80203
303-866-3052

Connecticut
Honorable Richard Blumenthal
Attorney General of Connecticut
Office of the Attorney General
55 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06141-0120
203-566-2026

Delaware
Honorable M. Jane Brady
Attorney General of Delaware
Office of the Attorney General
Carvel State Office Building
820 North French Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-577-3838

District of Columbia
Charles F.C. Ruff
D.C. Corporation Counsel
Office of the Corporation Counsel
441 4th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-727-6248

Florida
Honorable Robert A. Butterworth
Attorney General of Florida
Office of the Attorney General
The Capitol
PL 01
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
904-487-1963

Georgia
Honorable Thurbert E. Baker
Attorney General of Georgia
Office of the Attorney General
40 Capitol Square, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30334-1300
404-656-4585

Guam
Honorable John F. Tarantino (Acting)
Attorney General of Guam
Office of the Attorney General
Judicial Center Building
120 West O'Brien Drive
Agana, GU 96910
671-475-3324

Hawaii
Honorable Margery S. Bronster
Attorney General of Hawaii
Office of the Attorney General
425 Queen Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-586-1282

Idaho
Honorable Alan G. Lance
Attorney General of Idaho
Office of the Attorney General
Statehouse
Boise, ID 83720-1000
208-334-2400

Illinois
Honorable Jim Ryan
Attorney General of Illinois
Office of the Attorney General
State of Illinois Center
100 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
312-814-2503

Indiana
Honorable Jeff Modisett
Attorney General of Indiana
Office of the Attorney General
Indiana Government Center South
Fifth Floor
402 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-233-4386

Iowa
Honorable Tom Miller
Attorney General of Iowa
Office of the Attorney General
Hoover State Office Building
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3053

Kansas
Honorable Carla J. Stovall
Attorney General of Kansas
Office of the Attorney General
Judicial Building
301 West Tenth Street
Topeka, KS 66612-1597
913-296-2215

Kentucky
Honorable Albert Benjamin "Ben" Chandler III
Attorney General of Kentucky
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Room 116
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-564-7600

Louisiana
Honorable Richard P. Ieyoub
Attorney General of Louisiana
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Justice
Post Office Box 94095
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-4095
504-342-7013

Maine
Honorable Andrew Ketterer
Attorney General of Maine
Office of the Attorney General
State House Station Six
Augusta, ME 04333
207-626-8800

Maryland
Honorable J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
Attorney General of Maryland
Office of the Attorney General
200 Saint Paul Place
Baltimore, MD 21202-2202
410-576-6300

Massachusetts
Honorable Tom Reilly
Attorney General of Massachusetts
Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108-1698
617-727-2200

Michigan
Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm
Attorney General of Michigan
Office of the Attorney General
Post Office Box 30212
525 West Ottawa Street
Lansing, MI 48909-0212
517-373-1110

Minnesota
Honorable Mike Hatch
Attorney General of Minnesota
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Suite 102
St. Paul, MN 55155
612-296-6196

Mississippi
Honorable Mike Moore
Attorney General of Mississippi
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Justice
Post Office Box 220
Jackson, MS 39205-0220
601-359-3692

Missouri
Honorable Jeremiah W. "Jay" Nixon
Attorney General of Missouri
Office of the Attorney General
Supreme Court Building
207 West High Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-751-3321

Montana
Honorable Joseph P. Mazurek
Attorney General of Montana
Office of the Attorney General
Justice Building
215 North Sanders
Helena, MT 59620-1401
406-444-2026

Nebraska
Honorable Don Stenberg
Attorney General of Nebraska
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Post Office Box 98920
Lincoln, NE 68509-8920
402-471-2682

Nevada
Honorable Frankie Sue Del Papa
Attorney General of Nevada
Office of the Attorney General
Old Supreme Court Bldg.
198 South Carson
Carson City, NV 89710
702-687-4170

New Hampshire
Honorable Philip T. McLaughlin
Attorney General of New Hampshire
Office of the Attorney General
State House Annex
25 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301-6397
603-271-3658

New Jersey
Honorable John J. Farmer, Jr.
Attorney General of New Jersey
Office of the Attorney General
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
25 Market Street
CN 080
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-4976

New Mexico
Honorable Patricia A. Madrid
Attorney General of New Mexico
Office of the Attorney General
Post Office Drawer 1508
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1508
505-827-6000

New York
Honorable Eliot Spitzer
Attorney General of New York
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Law - The Capitol
2nd Floor
Albany, NY 12224
518-474-7330

North Carolina
Honorable Michael F. Easley
Attorney General of North Carolina
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Justice
Post Office Box 629
Raleigh, NC 27602-0629
919-733-3377

North Dakota
Honorable Heidi Heitkamp
Attorney General of North Dakota
Offcie of the Attorney General
State Capitol
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58505-0040
701-328-2210

N. Mariana Islands
Honorable Richard Weil
Attorney General of the Northern Mariana Islands
Office of the Attorney General
Administration Building
Saipan, MP 96950
670-664-2341

Ohio
Honorable Betty D. Montgomery
Attorney General of Ohio
Office of the Attorney General
State Office Tower
30 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215-3428
614-466-3376

Oklahoma
Honorable Drew Edmondson
Attorney General of Oklahoma
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
2300 North Lincoln Boulevard
Room 112
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-3921

Oregon
Honorable Hardy Myers
Attorney General of Oregon
Office of the Attorney General
Justice Building
1162 Court Street, N.E.
Salem, OR 97310
503-378-6002

Pennsylvania
Honorable Michael Fisher
Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Office of the Attorney General
Strawberry Square, 16th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-3391

Puerto Rico
Honorable Jose' Fuentes-Agostini
Attorney General of Puerto Rico
Office of the Attorney General
Post Office Box 192
San Juan, PR 00902-0192
809-721-7700

Rhode Island
Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse
Attorney General of Rhode Island
Office of the Attorney General
150 S. Main Street
Providence, RI 02903
401-274-4400

South Carolina
Honorable Charles Molony Condon
Attorney General of South Carolina
Office of the Attorney General
Rembert C. Dennis Office Building
Post Office Box 11549
Columbia, SC 29211-1549
803-734-3970

South Dakota
Honorable Mark Barnett
Attorney General of South Dakota
Office of the Attorney General
500 East Capitol
Pierre, SD 57501-5070
605-773-3215

Tennessee
Honorable Paul G. Summers
Attorney General of Tennessee
Office of the Attorney General
500 Charlotte Avenue
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-6474

Texas
Honorable John Cornyn
Attorney General of Texas
Office of the Attorney General
Capitol Station
Post Office Box 12548
Austin, TX 78711-2548
512-463-2191

Utah
Honorable Jan Graham
Attorney General of Utah
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Room 236
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-0810
801-538-1326

Vermont
Honorable William H. Sorrel
Attorney General of Vermont
Office of the Attorney General
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609-1001
802-828-3171

Virginia
Honorable Mark L. Earley
Attorney General of Virginia
Office of the Attorney General
900 East Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219
804-786-2071

Virgin Islands
Honorable Julio A. Brady
Attorney General of the Virgin Islands
Office of the Attorney General
Department of Justice
G.E.R.S. Complex
48B-50C Kronprinsdens Gade
St. Thomas, VI 00802
809-774-5666

Washington
Honorable Christine O. Gregoire
Attorney General of Washington
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 40100
1125 Washington Street, SE
Olympia, WA 98504-0100
360-753-6200

West Virginia
Honorable Darrell V. McGraw, Jr.
Attorney General of West Virginia
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Charleston, WV 25305
304-558-2021

Wisconsin
Honorable James E. Doyle
Attorney General of Wisconsin
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol
Post Office Box 7857
Suite 114 East
Madison, WI 53707-7857
608-266-1221

Wyoming
Honorable William U. Hill
Attorney General of Wyoming
Office of the Attorney General
State Capitol Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002
307-777-7841
 

glen

Lifer
Apr 28, 2000
15,995
1
81
You guys deserve someone who is better at explaining this than me, but I will try to be informative.

If gas is indead in short supply, then you may be happy to get it even at $4 a gallon.

If it is not in short supply, someone will under cut the guys selling at $4 by offering it at maybe $3.90 etc... till it evens out at $1.50 or what ever. Prices may swing up, but it is meerly a blip and it will come down.

While it is illegal to "price gouge" in the US, it naturally occurs in a free economy when demand goes up.