Coronavirus price gouging in Detroit area

[CassTechGrad]

Steve's Party Store, 2132 Caniff, Hamtramck, is for charging $35 for toilet paper! I saw it on Face Book.

[Zacha341]

Yep, I've started to hear tales. Gas stations selling the Scott 1000 Sht. rolls for $2+ per roll. Even CVS is doing it somewhat... their usual 12-Pk Scott 1000 Sht all summer was around $9.99 -- now $12.99! But if you have bonus card right now there's a 25% dis. The gouging's going to get worse.

BTW, down the road from that Steve's is an full-on produce store Al Hamareen... went there the other day for my eggs, beans and produce.

[Bigdd]

Yep, I've started to hear tales. Gas stations .............................The gouging's going to get worse.

I think the other way around.

People are starting to realize the media panic is WAY overblown [[actual death numbers are like 1/4 of one percent of the annual flu [[160 deaths in the USA as compared to 61,099 for the FLU in 2018)).

Also,.. people have pretty much stocked up on the stuff they need,.. and manufacturers and trucks are running flat out to re-stock.

I was at a Krogers last night and pretty much all the shelves were full. Some bathroom cleaners and TP still mostly out of stock,.. but the shelves for beef, milk etc were all full again like before all this. And when you consider that they re-stock in the middle of the night,.. that's a good sign.

I bet TP will be everywhere within a week,.. and in a month it will be on super-sale, as the manufacturers over-shoot demand.

[JBMcB]

Went to Meijer's late Tuesday night. They had all the staples in stock - bread, milk, eggs, juice, vegetables, etc... They didn't have the selection they normally do, but if you wanted bread you could get it.

They were still out of some things, but they were restocking quite a bit. I talked to the guy restocking the freezer section and he said they should be almost fully restocked by the end of the week, barring any further binge-buying.

[Honky Tonk]

Yep, I've started to hear tales. Gas stations selling the Scott 1000 Sht. rolls for $2+ per roll. Even CVS is doing it somewhat... their usual 12-Pk Scott 1000 Sht all summer was around $9.99 -- now $12.99! But if you have bonus card right now there's a 25% dis. The gouging's going to get worse.

BTW, down the road from that Steve's is an full-on produce store Al Hamareen... went there the other day for my eggs, beans and produce.

Shhhhhhhhh! Next time you're down there, stop @ their bigger store. [[you know where)

[Zacha341]

I went to the mini-Meijers on eight mile and they were pretty well stocked except for paper products. Meats where scarce as was frozen veggies.

Went to Meijer's late Tuesday night. They had all the staples in stock - bread, milk, eggs, juice, vegetables, etc...

[Jimaz]

Michigan's Attorney General urges consumers to report price gouging: AG Nessel Warns Consumers of Price-gouging From COVID-19.

The offense can be reported online by following the "report any violation of the Consumer Protection Act online" link at the bottom of that press release then the "Consumer Complaint" link on the next page.

[Meddle]

Lock 'em Up!!

[401don]

I went to the mini-Meijers on eight mile and they were pretty well stocked except for paper products. Meats where scarce as was frozen veggies.

You really have to think twice about handling fresh produce. If you want to buy it, I'd suggest wearing those skinny rubber gloves, bag it separately and washing it all as soon as you get home.

[Richard]

Michigan's Attorney General urges consumers to report price gouging: AG Nessel Warns Consumers of Price-gouging From COVID-19.

The offense can be reported online by following the "report any violation of the Consumer Protection Act online" link at the bottom of that press release then the "Consumer Complaint" link on the next page.

A state of emergency has been called,I would not consider that ratting somebody out and they should be shut down.

If you see it snap a photo or try and get some documentation in order to help the state out,they may not go after them right now but when the dust settles they will.

On the other hand price increases passed on by stores may be supply line related within reason,if they have to run 24/7 trucks and pay overtime etc.

Stores usually operate by collecting pennies,dimes and quarters in profit per item.

[JBMcB]

You really have to think twice about handling fresh produce. If you want to buy it, I'd suggest wearing those skinny rubber gloves, bag it separately and washing it all as soon as you get home.

You should wash all produce every time. COVID-19 is nothing compared to E. Coli.

[Zacha341]

^^^ Wash those reusable shopping bags too. Those become germ, e. coli, etc. nasty too over time. I'm wearing those clear nitrile gloves when I am out now, shopping, pumping gas.

[Former_Detroiter]

I just left the Dollar Tree [[where everything is a dollar) in Santa Fe, NM. Customers were allowed to purchase 4 4 roll packs of 2 ply toilet paper. No price gouging there...

[Bigdd]

Price gouging is actually a good thing.

When you don't allow it,.. the first 10 people in the door buy ALL of the supply,...and the 90 people behind them get nothing. If that $6 pack of TP is $19,.. the first people in line buy what they actually think they need,... and while it's $19 instead of $6 for the people behind them,... at least they can get some.


The high prices also encourage the manufacturers to take drastic steps to increase production, such as paying more for raw materials, expedited trucking, working 3 shifts around the clock, even on Sundays to meet demand. Which in turn rapidly refills the shelves and brings the price back down.

[jcole]

Make sure you change them often; like after you pump gas, put on a new pair, after you shop and use a cart, change them. They are actually worse than bare hands unless you are very diligent because people tend to want to use them for more than one task and you can't wash them like hands.

^^^ Wash those reusable shopping bags too. Those become germ, e. coli, etc. nasty too over time. I'm wearing those clear nitrile gloves when I am out now, shopping, pumping gas.

[Zacha341]

^^^ That's right! A germy/ filthy nitrile gloves are a petri-dish of problems.

I ordered many boxes and keep one on the passenger seat of car/ some in my purse. I change out to a fresh pair immediately after pumping gas for example.

I am spraying my car/ house key set with Lysol too at the end of the day, but not sure if that helps. It is said CVirsus stays longest on metal surfaces. Then the next day you here something else.

It's all a bit much.

[Johnnny5]

Price gouging is actually a good thing.

When you don't allow it,.. the first 10 people in the door buy ALL of the supply,...and the 90 people behind them get nothing. If that $6 pack of TP is $19,.. the first people in line buy what they actually think they need,... and while it's $19 instead of $6 for the people behind them,... at least they can get some.

There are legal and fair ways for retailers to handle this and $2 rolls of TP is not one of them. Limiting purchases to one package per customer is the most obvious.

Also price gouging doesn't mean that those that need the items the most are buying them, it just means those that have the most money are able to buy them. The stores engaged in profiteering from this outbreak should not only be prosecuted, but they should repeatedly be named and shamed after this is all over.

[Bigdd]

There are legal and fair ways for retailers to handle this and $2 rolls of TP is not one of them. Limiting purchases to one package per customer is the most obvious.

Also price gouging doesn't mean that those that need the items the most are buying them, it just means those that have the most money are able to buy them. The stores engaged in profiteering from this outbreak should not only be prosecuted, but they should repeatedly be named and shamed after this is all over.

I couldn't disagree more.

And I notice you didn't quote or comment on the second half of what I said.

Why would TP manufacturers triple their efforts to re-stock the supply? Why pay massive overtime, or pay increased prices for the raw materials, or pay top dollar during a peak need for extra trucks if they're only going to be able to charge the normal amount?

Free market causes fully stocked shelves. Price controls [[I.E. Communism) causes empty shelves.

[drjeff]

I think the other way around.

People are starting to realize the media panic is WAY overblown [[actual death numbers are like 1/4 of one percent of the annual flu [[160 deaths in the USA as compared to 61,099 for the FLU in 2018)).

This is an absolutely idiotic and completely wrong statement. You are comparing a full year of flu number to basically one month or less of covid19 numbers. The flu is highly infectious but many people get vaccinated. Nobody is immune to covid19. Also, the fatality rates of covid19 are far higher than flu. Best case scenario, as shown by S. Korea, is about 1% of infected die. In Italy it is far, far higher, at over 8%. The flu is deadly to less than 0.1% of those infected.

[JBMcB]

Best case scenario, as shown by S. Korea, is about 1% of infected die. In Italy it is far, far higher, at over 8%. The flu is deadly to less than 0.1% of those infected.

The mortality rate is still unknown, mainly because the infection rate is unknown. The best guess by experts at this point is that it's somewhere between 1% and 2%, trending towards the low end of the scale. This is for the general population - if you are older or already have a compromised immune system, it's much higher.

[Johnnny5]

I couldn't disagree more.

And I notice you didn't quote or comment on the second half of what I said.

Why would TP manufacturers triple their efforts to re-stock the supply? Why pay massive overtime, or pay increased prices for the raw materials, or pay top dollar during a peak need for extra trucks if they're only going to be able to charge the normal amount?

Free market causes fully stocked shelves. Price controls [[I.E. Communism) causes empty shelves.

Think about it, are people actually going to use any more toilet paper? This insanity will die down soon and there will be a massive drop in demand as consumers without enough rationed what they had, and those with a surplus don't have to buy any for months [[or even years).

When this TP mania is over all the stores are going to fully stocked with a product that fewer people want, and one that takes up a massive amount of shelf space. If the manufacturers overpay and overproduce like you're suggesting they'll pay Hell for it later and they know it.

[Bigdd]

Think about it, are people actually going to use any more toilet paper? This insanity will die down soon and there will be a massive drop in demand as consumers without enough rationed what they had, and those with a surplus don't have to buy any for months [[or even years).

When this TP mania is over all the stores are going to fully stocked with a product that fewer people want, and one that takes up a massive amount of shelf space. If the manufacturers overpay and overproduce like you're suggesting they'll pay Hell for it later and they know it.

EXACTLY. Big sales coming in a month or so. Though, because free market pricing is frowned upon,.. there wasn't nearly the push to increase production. Certainly the manufacturers aren't going to be willing to pay increased production costs when they can only charge the same rate as normal.

So re-filling the shelves will take longer than it could have.


I feel bad for those that do not have any, because free-market supply & demand pricing is frowned upon.

[Bigdd]

This is an absolutely idiotic and completely wrong statement. You are comparing a full year of flu number to basically one month or less of covid19 numbers. The flu is highly infectious but many people get vaccinated. Nobody is immune to covid19. Also, the fatality rates of covid19 are far higher than flu. Best case scenario, as shown by S. Korea, is about 1% of infected die. In Italy it is far, far higher, at over 8%. The flu is deadly to less than 0.1% of those infected.

Flu has a season,... about 13 weeks,.. not a full year.

It's true that our numbers are way off, as we've only had it here for 6-8 weeks,.. and our president started locking down flights from hot-spots as early as Jan 31.

Europe is a better gauge.

Even then, the mortality rate you see is based on testing just the sickest 5% of the population. And much less than that in the USA where until recently the medical community would only allow 100 a day to be tested.

As mentioned above,.. we have no idea of the death rate,.. only the rate of those "tested".


86% of people who contract it will never realize they've had it according to a Johns Hopkins study that came out 5 days ago. Of the remaining 14%,... 1/3 probably just stay home,.. 1/3 are simply sent home from the hospital and told to stay away from grandma,.. and the last 3-5% are admitted and perhaps tested. OF THOSE,.... the mortality rate seems to be 3% - 5%. But to get a percentage of those " infected",.. you need to divide that number by 20 [[to account for the 95% that are infected, but will never get a test). At which point you come up with a fatality rate of roughly 2/10 of one percent of those infected. About the same as the flu, which is .0018 typically.


If we use S. Korea's numbers,.. [[who's medical system allows mass testing),.. they seem to have tested pretty much the entire 14% that had symptoms,.. which is WHY their deaths are only 0.9% of those "Known" to be infected. Multiply that by the 14% and you get .126% Or about 2/3 of the death rate of the flu.



Of course at some point we have to think about the economy. We were in the best possible position to weather something like this. World record economy, etc. But what happens if we get another thing like this next Winter and 20% of our population has been unemployed for 9 months because the businesses they worked for went under?

[One Shot]

Scum of the earth ghetto stations and stores. The people that do this should be castrated. Best part is they are buying it with the cashed out bridge cards and selling it back. 2x the fun. And who paid for it? All of us through taxes that fund govt assistance. BS!!!!!!!!

[Zacha341]

^^^Yeah. They justify that they've a CAPTIVE audience and in a way they do. Everyone cannot get out/ out of the city to purchase things at fairer pricing.

I heard one of these joints selling a 'roll' of Scott 1000 Sht for $3 DOLLARS!