It is completely understandable that businesses, especially small businesses, would have to pass charges incurred because of supply chain and other issues onto their customers.

However, it’s almost inevitable that, in times like these when supplies may be short and prices are rising, the more unscrupulous business owners will “price gouge," charge their customers well above acceptable prices for hard-to-get items. 

And it often hits consumers who can least afford it, and who can’t travel through the city trying to find fairer pricing, the hardest. It’s unconscionable, and it’s also illegal. Queens State Sen. Leroy Comrie is pushing through a bill that would prevent business owners from, first, passing on unfair surcharges to customers and, second, provide harsh penalties for price gougers. 

Comrie joins In Focus to talk about the new bill, and to tell us how consumers can protect themselves from price gouging, especially as it tends to become more rampant as the holidays approach. One hint: if you live in his Queens district and believe a local shop owner is price gouging, take a picture of the item and price, and the front of the store, and send it to his office. 

They’ll pass it on to the Department of Consumer Affairs who will take it from there.