Ridgewood Business Fined In Price Gouging Crackdown: AG

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — A Ridgewood business was one of a handful cited by the Office of the Attorney General Tuesday for consumer protection violations related to COVID-19, the office announced.

A Ridgewood Shell station received a notice of violation and was assessed $500 in civil penalties for alleged failure to post selling prices on items like hand sanitizer, toilet paper and bottled water.

That $500 penalty actually means the business got off easy in comparison, as the AG's Office levied steeper fines to other businesses, including Performance Supply LCC, of Manalapan, who received a $12,500 fine.

The company allegedly made false and misleading statements in advertising N95 mask respirators to personnel from the New York City Office of Citywide Procurement. Quotes from the company, according to the AG's Office, misleadingly suggested the company is an authorized dealer or distributor for 3M Company and offered to sell seven million face masks that retailed between $1.02 and $1.31 for $6.05 and $6.35 each.

Those issued notice of violations include:

• Performance Supply LLC, 3 Westbrook Way, Manalapan, $12,500
• Bravo Supermarket, Inc., 1567 E. State Street, Trenton, $5,750
• Food Fair La Gran Marqueta, 946-956 Market Street, Paterson, $5,250
• Siya Cash and Carry LLC, 175 Tonnelle Avenue, Jersey City, $1,750
• Super Fresh Pine Tree Supermarket, 19 Belleville Avenue, Bloomfield, $1,250
• Compare Foods Super Market, 847 Roebling Avenue, Trenton, $1,250
• Exxon Gas, 2000 Route 66 East, Neptune, $500
• News Plus, 138 Baldwin Road, Parsippany, $500
• Delta Food Mart, 801 West Elizabeth Avenue, Linden, $500

According to the AG's Office, these actions are just the latest in the Division of Consumer Affairs' efforts to curtail an "unprecedented" number of consumer complaints since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, we made clear that we would take a tough stand on price gouging and other abuses of New Jersey consumers," said Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. "Enlisting the help of residents to report unconscionable practices works. Most businesses are following the law. For those that are not, these actions are a reminder that the penalties for violations are significant."

These actions come after the passage of New Jersey's price-gouging law, which took effect on March 9.

According to the AG's Office, the law prohibits excessive price increases during a declared state of emergency and for 30 days after its termination.

"A price increase is considered excessive if the new price is more than 10 percent higher than the price charged during the normal course of business prior to the state of emergency, and the increased price is not attributable to additional costs imposed by the seller's supplier or additional costs of providing the product or service during the state of emergency," a news release said.

To date, Consumer Affairs has sent 1,884 cease and desist letters to retailers suspected of price gouging and "other unconscionable business practices" during the pandemic.