Fuschillo, Mcdonough, And Consumer Protection Board Remind Drivers To Be On The Lookout For Gas Price Gouging
Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District), Assemblyman David G. McDonough (19th Assembly District), and State Consumer Protection Board Chairperson Teresa A. Santiago recently joined together to urge consumers to be on the lookout for gas price gouging.
"Right here on Long Island, we’ve already seen that some gas stations were willing to use Hurricane Katrina as an excuse to charge exorbitant prices simply to increase their own profits," said Senator Fuschillo, Chairman of the Senate’s Consumer Protection Committee. "I am sponsoring legislation to dramatically increase the penalties for price gouging to better protect consumers. However, drivers still need to be watchful to make sure that they are not being ripped off. I urge anyone who sees sharp price spikes to document that increase and call the Consumer Protection Board’s hotline immediately."
"While market forces may be causing the steady rise in gas prices, we want to know about any instances where prices have dramatically increased from one day to the next," said Chairperson Santiago.
New Yorkers should report single-day price spikes to New York State’s Gasoline Price Hotline at 1-800-214-4372. The complaint line is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Complaints can also be filed online at www.nysconsumer.gov. The Consumer Protection Board will review and investigate these complaints.
Senator Fuschillo is also sponsoring legislation that would greatly increase the penalties for price gouging. This legislation would allow the courts to impose a monetary penalty per violation plus three times the amount of illegal profits for any business convicted of price gouging. Currently, the maximum penalty for price gouging is a one time $10,000 fine, regardless of the profits exacted or the number of consumers defrauded.
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