Self isolation

[Donner]

I bought a cat tree, Avengers canvas, tv (for my N64) and picture frames to finally complete my "she-room." And then I'll spend my time in there. With cookies.

 

[Yowza]

Not to get the thread off topic but I think this price gouging really is an interesting thing to note.

Consumer protection agencies I see can be looked up state and locally here: State Consumer Protection Offices | USAGov



Sneakier Price Gouging by Established Businesses:
The state of Wisconsin based DATCP I see is going after price-gouging complaints from a range of established businesses according to recent reports: 16 Wisconsin companies accused of price gouging

16 Wisconsin companies accused of price gouging
Sixteen companies in Wisconsin have been sent cease and desist letters from the state’s consumer protection agency for allegedly gouging prices on everything from toilet paper to surgical masks, cleaning wipes to limes.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection said Wednesday that it has sent the letters to companies including Menards, Walgreens, Wal-Mart and an Ace Hardware in Delavan. A letter also went to N95Sales.com for allegedly price gouging for N95 masks, which are in short supply and critical for health care workers dealing with COVID-19 patients.

Other items that stores allegedly inflated the prices for included bleach, water, cookies, milk, pinto beans, watermelon and hand cleaner.

None of the 16 companies sent cease and desist letters are in WMTV's viewing area.

Letters were sent to (listed alphabetically):

• Ace Hardware in Delavan, for Clorox bleach and toilet paper
  
• Asian International Market in Milwaukee, for rice
  
• C&S Supermarket in Milwaukee, for rice
  
• Cermak in Milwaukee, for pinto beans
  
• Dollar Tree in Marinette, for toilet paper
  
• El Rey Foodmart in Milwaukee, for rice, bleach and water
  
• El Rey Foodmart in Milwaukee, for limes
  
• El Rey Foodmart in Milwaukee, for bleach
  
• Grainger, online, for surgical masks
  
• Marketplace Foods in St. Croix Falls, for toilet paper
  
• Matrangas in Racine, for bottled water
  
• Menards in Burlington, for Lysol wipes
  
• Menards in West Milwaukee, for hand cleaner
  
• N95Sales.com, online/Oshkosh, for N95 masks
  
• Pacific Produce in Oak Creek, for rice
  
• Point Market in Stevens Point, for rice
  
• Restaurant Depot in Milwaukee, for toilet paper and cookies
  
• Walgreens in Cudahy, for toilet paper
  
• Walgreens in Waukesha, for Lysol spray
  
• Walmart in Milwaukee, for toilet paper
  
• Walmart in Rhinelander, for milk

The consumer protection agency said it received dozens of complaints at over a hundred stores across the state.

Under state law, during a crisis, retailers and wholesalers and those who provide services are "generally prohibited" from raising prices more than 15% compared to prices before the crisis.

There are some exceptions, such as when low supply or high demand drive up the seller's own costs for obtaining the products or providing a service, as long as the prices don't exceed their actual cost "plus a reasonable markup."

If you suspect price gouging, contact the DATCP Consumer Protection Hotline. Call 1-800-422-7128, email [email protected] or use an online reporting form.

CLICK HERE TO REPORT ONLINE

You'll be asked to report the seller's name and location, the date the product was offered for sale, and specific information about the product, including product name, size and price.

Of course the above is more normal sneaky ways of price gouging by establishments many people usually don't look twice at concerning their prices.

Independent Bolder Examples:
A seller's perception of having a longer leash pertaining to pricing items I would think is starting to dwindle but some independent sellers (who often hoard) have gone way overboard. Example A below occurred earlier on before the pandemic hit full-swing while Example B was just this week with a seller trying to use an auction as an excuse as seen below:
Example A: An instance of hoarding/price gouging I've read that's pretty blatant has to be the guy in Tennessee who cleaned store shelves out of hand sanitizer a few weeks back right before the outbreak kicked into overdrive. He had the audacity to complain (maybe perhaps he knew he was already being investigated by the DA or perhaps this drew the DA's attention) to the media on having trouble trying to find what to do with the garage/storage locker full of hand-sanitizer after online sellers blocked his sales as seen here: He Has 17,700 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer and Nowhere to Sell Them Needless to say, the added attention fueled the Office of District Attorney for Tennessee to go after him prompting the sanitizer to be given away as seen here: Tennessee AG cracks down on men who hoarded thousands of sanitizer bottles amid shopper scare (Amazon and Ebay blocked a number of accounts besides just his but not sure if all these were reported to a state or local agency or not)

Example B: I've also read a more recent story this week of an independent seller in Texas aggressive enough to try and utilize an online auction to sell n-95 masks exhorbitantly using the excuse it was the auction and not him that set the price... Texas AG's office halts auction for 750,000 face masks





Anyway, this post got kind of long but I think it's interesting to note how price gauging has transitioned in the last few weeks from some crazier instances to more run-of-the mill gouging by local businesses on a wider array of items...

 

[Dark Raven]

What if all this had happened in 2005?

 

[Silvermoth]

I bought a cat tree, Avengers canvas, tv (for my N64) and picture frames to finally complete my "she-room." And then I'll spend my time in there. With cookies.

Nintendo 64! The console of kings!

 

[Lily Adler]

Nintendo 64! The console of kings!

How dare you insult the SNES!

 

[Micromind]

Quarantine Day 12

 

[Lily Adler]

Birds of Prey came out?

 

[MissMarvelous]

So the snack attack is real...

 

[Dr. Evil]

People in quarantine "oh, so that's what a book is!"

 

[InCali]

Yeah prices are definitely up. Bet the supermarkets don’t pass that on to the producers too. Bloody gougers. Still, at least we’re getting back a few things now. It’s not like it was in the old times but at least I can get cereal again

I bought a cat tree, Avengers canvas, tv (for my N64) and picture frames to finally complete my "she-room." And then I'll spend my time in there. With cookies.

Glad to see you two have your priorities straight.

 

[terry78]

Another downside I realized is how much bandwidth everybody else is taking up. Twitch is buffering like a mother right now.

 

[kvz5]

So the snack attack is real...

It’s terrible. I’ve been eating healthy prior to the lockdown and now I’m all about the chips.

 

[MissMarvelous]

It’s terrible. I’ve been eating healthy prior to the lockdown and now I’m all about the chips.

Me too, I got a few unhealthy snacks yesterday... Even got cereals covered in chocolate.

But the chips, those are the best quaran-snackos.

 

[Gee]

Been working from home since the 13th so it's Week 3 for me starting tomorrow.

 

[squeekness]

People in quarantine "oh, so that's what a book is!"

Lol,

 

[squeekness]

Been working from home since the 13th so it's Week 3 for me starting tomorrow.

Been laid off that long so it's the same for me only I get to goof off.

 

[Dark Raven]

Been laid off that long so it's the same for me only I get to goof off.

Are you retraining or learning new skills in this period e.g. online courses etc?

What is everyone else doing who doesn't have work?

 

[jmc]

Everyone make sure you develop a workout routine at home. There's plenty of instructional videos on Youtube for all types of exercises that last 30-35 minutes. If you have to, break things up into 10 minute chunks throughout the day.

 

[Gee]

Everyone make sure you develop a workout routine at home. There's plenty of instructional videos on Youtube for all types of exercises that last 30-35 minutes. If you have to, break things up into 10 minute chunks throughout the day.

I do jumping jacks while my code compiles.

And one sit-up for every compilation error.

 

[MissMarvelous]

How's everyone doing? Are you hanging in there?

 

[kguillou]

I'm about to enter week 3 of quarantine personally and I'm definitely hanging in there. Some days are a little bit of a bummer but I'm lucky enough to be with my family, so it's me, my mother and father and younger brother keeping each other company. Been facetiming with friends and family a lot and having virtual happy hours with my friends on Fridays, hehe. The days are going by faster than I thought for me personally but its still sobering knowing that it at least be another 3-4weeks of maintaining this.

How are you all doing?

 

[squeekness]

Are you retraining or learning new skills in this period e.g. online courses etc?

What is everyone else doing who doesn't have work?

No, I'm only temp laid off until they open the factory back up, probably in a couple of months. I've got a lot of seniority, they would have to let a ton of people go permanently to get to me. I'm really on an extended vacation.

 

[squeekness]

How's everyone doing? Are you hanging in there?

My butt is sore from watching too much tv and reading. Other than that I am well.

 

[squeekness]

Everyone make sure you develop a workout routine at home. There's plenty of instructional videos on Youtube for all types of exercises that last 30-35 minutes. If you have to, break things up into 10 minute chunks throughout the day.

I'm lucky to have an elliptical and a recumbent bike at home. I have been using them regularly so I don't get fat. Plus we've been walking the dogs.

 

[Dark Raven]

Apart from family, I don't feel I have anyone I can call or Skype just for a chat. While I might talk to these people in person, it's often been more incidental because they happened to be there. I think they might wonder why I'm calling them up now suddenly to talk to them and why I've singled them out. I wouldn't have singled them out, but making the rounds and chatting to different people, but I don't feel there is enough of a bond to do that.

And I feel it would be even more odd calling up someone of the opposite sex just to talk without them wondering if I'm interested in them or trying to have a virtual date.

So I don't know if I'll end up really speaking to anyone for the next few months or even the next year until we're free again.