by Alex Lloyd Gross
A dollar store retailer in South Philadelphia has been caught price gouging by the Pennsylvania Attorney General and he put a stop to it. EZ- Dollar plus on Snyder Avenue was caught selling facemasks and hand sanitizers for unlawful prices. The Office learned that EZ Dollar Plus sold 20-packs of facemasks for $24.99 and 2-ounce hand sanitizers for $5.99.. The office was alerted to the price gouging by people that saw it and reported it.
EZ Dollar Plus entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the AG’s office and has vowed to not do it again. If you purchased those items from EZ-Dollar Plus may be eligible for restitution if they paid more than they should have. In order to be considered for restitution, consumers should file a consumer complaint form (put in hyperlink to the complaint form) and attach a copy of their receipt showing they purchased the facemasks and hand sanitizers between March 6, 2020 and May 14, 2020. Complaints must be submitted by July 6, 2020 to be considered. 
Under the Price Gouging Act, a price increase of more than 20 percent during a declared state of emergency is considered price gouging. The AVC requires EZ Dollar Plus to pay $600 in civil penalties, in addition to restitution of $158.16 for consumers who purchased the facemasks and hand sanitizers. EZ Dollar Plus also agreed to fully comply with all provisions of the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law and Price Gouging Act moving forward.
Pricegouging@attorneygeneral.gov Is the email address you can use to report merchants that do not want to play by the rules. Merchants must also accept cash as a means of conducting business.This is the link to additional coverage.