Notice someone gouging on prices during pandemic? You might want to report it

If you think a business has wrongfully upped prices on certain items during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a way for you to report them.

Consumer Protection B.C. regulates certain transactions in the province, and in this notice the agency notes that any business trying to benefit from this pandemic by selling overpriced goods or services should be reported. 

You've likely seen the strange sight of certain stores shelves empty of staple foods or products while many begin to self-isolate. This might lead a business to increase the prices on products they know are in high-demand. As some poetic justice for the individuals who have added to the hysteria, those who have panic purchased and fought over toilet paper might be out of luck if they want to return their haul.

Price gouging is prohibited, and if you’ve seen price increases on items such as toilet paper or cleaning products, report it to Consumer Protection B.C. 

Click here for more information.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Jenna Wheeler or call (250) 819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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Jenna Wheeler

Jenna Wheeler is a writer at heart. She has always been naturally curious about what matters to the people in her community. That’s why it was an obvious decision to study journalism at Durham College, where she enjoyed being an editor for the student newspaper, The Chronicle. She has since travelled across Canada, living in small towns in the Rockies, the Coast Mountains, and tried out the big city experience. She is passionate about sustainability, mental health, and the arts. When she’s not reporting, she’s likely holed up with a good book and her cat Ace.