Tedesco Urges Residents to Report Price Gouging in Relation to COVID-19

Hackensack, N.J. – In light of recent news that the COVID-19 virus has reached Bergen County, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announced that the Division of Consumer Protection of Bergen and Passaic Counties are warning residents to be aware of potential COVID-19 related price gouging.

“We are asking Bergen and Passaic County residents to report any merchants that dramatically increase prices for surgical masks, gloves, sanitizing products such as hand sanitizer, Lysol/Clorox wipes and sprays in an apparent attempt to take unfair advantage of a health emergency,” said County Executive Tedesco. 

Excessive price increases are defined as price increases that are more than 10 percent higher than the price at which merchandise was sold during the normal course of business prior to the State of Emergency. 

Price-gouging violations are punishable by civil penalties of up to $10,000 for the first offense and $20,000 for the second and subsequent offenses. Each individual sale of merchandise is considered a separate and distinct event.

Consumers who suspect price gouging and other COVID-19 related fraud should contact the Division of Consumer Protection immediately at (201) 336-6400, or visit the Division of Consumer Affairs' website at https://bergenpassaicconsumeraffairs.com/, as Investigators are ready to take immediate action to protect consumers. Please leave your name, contact information, nature of the complaint, and the name of the business and location. 

“We are urging Bergen County residents to remain calm, not spread fear and panic, and to be assured that we are all working together and utilizing all of our resources to protect the public from the spread of COVID-19,” said County Executive Tedesco.