Is it acceptable to price gouge and sell generators for $1850 after a hurricane ?

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

OK, some background...

in hard hit CT, so you can't buy one basically anywhere a couple of days ago.

A guy with a big pickup and a 5th wheel trailer brought up a load of these from Alabama and was selling them at a local gas station....I'm sure the station got a fee for allowing the use of their parking lot on a nice busy intersection, people were buying them quickly.

They were new Titan #8500, 7200 watt units. I suspect that might be an off brand ?

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New Gas Generator 8500 watt Titan With Remote -...

Merritt Island FL, United States - 1 week ago, on craigslist.org
For sale $1,200 -
For Sale: A new 8500 Titan Generator electric start with remote control. It will need a battery. It is new and never had fuel or oil put in it . In factory plastic. Cash $1,200.00 or Credit Cards Add 5% Call: Douglas 9am-7pm E.S.T. ... Location: South Merritt Island, fl. it's not ok to contact ...

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Doug · Sep 2, 2011

If you are going to own one it does need to be big enough to power something. Some folks have little ones that won't even power a fridge or a microwave. I don't need just a couple of light bulbs.

I'll bet you could buy one of these $1850 Titans slightly used for maybe $300 now or soon !

ALSportsJunkie · Sep 2, 2011

IMO no....not any better than the CVS that wanted almost 50 bucks for a case of water

patswin · Sep 2, 2011

He wants 1800 but you can buy new elsewhere for 1200?
Doesn't sound too bad, if he wanted double or triple retail then yes
He does have to pay for gas,etc
If it was me and I really needed one I probably would buy it

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

Well that was the price he wanted. Prices may still be inflated ?

It is Chinese made crap...

http://www.findgenerators.net/how-do-titan-generators-stack-up-against-honda-generators.html

bigtendominator · Sep 2, 2011

I thought it was illegal to price gouge in times of declared emergencies?

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

ALSportsJunkie said:
IMO no....not any better than the CVS that wanted almost 50 bucks for a case of water

That's not cool ! FEMA was very good about giving out free cases of water, Ice, MRE's, etc. They still are I'm sure, not everyone is up and running.

My favorite gas station ( cheapest) upped their price by 25 cents a gallon ( no longer cheapest) but I can see that since they had to rent a generator and have like a zero profit margin...

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

bigtendominator said:
I thought it was illegal to price gouge in times of declared emergencies?

I think only on certain items, like gas.

I guess you sell batteries and booze and stuff for whatever you can get. I can't see CVS gouging on water.

texansfan · Sep 2, 2011

Hell, that wasn't even a major hurricane either. Imagine getting hit from a 4 or 5 head on.

HacheMan · Sep 2, 2011

Doug I remember that going on here when Hurricane Charlie ripped through Central Florida.

texansfan · Sep 2, 2011

Parts of Louisiana are about to get 20 inches or more in the next day or so.

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

People were pretty decent during this event. The places ( like restaurants) in towns with power didn't price gouge. Places like YMCA, Planet Fitness and schools and others allowed non-members to take hot showers free. FEMA was there.

I'd have a problem if Home Depot doubled the prices on generators, but a guy bringing up a load from Ala is taking a risk ( power could be restored quickly), so I'm OK with that.

Drivers were kind of clueless with no traffic lights. No working signal means it legally is a 4 way stop sign situation..... that doesn't work too well in reality , esp. when you have a larger road ( like a route 1) intersecting a minor street with a light. If you stop there on Route 1, you might get rear-ended. If you are the guy on the side street don't go left, go right and turn around when you can.

It almost becomes whoever has the bigger or more beat up vehicle has the right of way, by day 3 and 4 drivers lost their patience.

A bunch of amateur traffic cops ( drivers) becomes comical. The stopping at every non-functioning light doesn't work....you pick the ones to blow through ( nobody at the intersecting side street= GO ! )....I do that with 4 way stop signs in rural areas routinely.

ensign_lee · Sep 2, 2011

If he only marked i tup 50% (sells regularly for $1200?), I see no problem with it.

It's not like he tried to sell it for $5k or something like that. He had to bring them in from friggin' alabama. Seems fine to me.

texansfan · Sep 2, 2011

That's why you get one of those natural gas generators that are tied into the house. When the electricity goes out you'll always have full power. Of course they do run about 10k.

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

texansfan said:
Hell, that wasn't even a major hurricane either. Imagine getting hit from a 4 or 5 head on.

It wasn't even a Hurricane in CT, but it did huge damage as a tropical storm esp. in SE coastal areas ( me) of the state, more than Gloria in 1985. I believe it hit at very high tide really magnifying the effect on the shoreline.

I don't think a cat 4 or 5 is even possible this far North. I think there have been about 4 hurricanes to hit Ct in the last 50 years. We are more vulnerable to extreme snow. There was an "Ice Storm" here around 1973 or so. This is bad for several reasons....

It's like you get this freezing rain that cakes on tree limbs , telephone poles, etc. and accumalates , the weight is enormous and the trees and poles fall, the power goes out and it is freezing cold to boot. That is like a cat 5 hurricane...doesn't happen often but it is dangerous, you can easily freeze to death during one of those.

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

ensign_lee said:
If he only marked i tup 50% (sells regularly for $1200?), I see no problem with it.

It's not like he tried to sell it for $5k or something like that. He had to bring them in from friggin' alabama. Seems fine to me.

I don't trust current prices, I suspect this is more like $600- $800 normally for an off-brand
one.

The guy was taking cash or credit cards so he was legit, I guess ? He sure would be a prime robbery target, you could probably catch the guy with 50k or more in cash.

ProPokerPlayer · Sep 2, 2011

I doubt its illegal on the east coast since it doesnt happen very often but here in Louisiana once the Govenor declares the state of emergency there can be NO price hikes on hurricane related items. I know of gas stations that were fined thousands for raising their prices.. BUT the generator guys would set up on the side of the road and since they never sold anything before the declaration whatever they charged afterwards is the price....they just cant go up on it once they set it.

texansfan · Sep 2, 2011

Doug said:
It wasn't even a Hurricane in CT, but it did huge damage as a tropical storm esp. in SE coastal areas ( me) of the state, more than Gloria in 1985. I believe it hit at very high tide really magnifying the effect on the shoreline.

I don't think a cat 4 or 5 is even possible this far North. I think there have been about 4 hurricanes to hit Ct in the last 50 years. We are more vulnerable to extreme snow. There was an "Ice Storm" here around 1973 or so. This is bad for several reasons....

It's like you get this freezing rain that cakes on tree limbs , telephone poles, etc. and accumalates , the weight is enormous and the trees and poles fall, the power goes out and it is freezing cold to boot. That is like a cat 5 hurricane...doesn't happen often but it is dangerous, you can easily freeze to death during one of those.

Yea, the water gets too cool the farther north it gets.

FairWarning · Sep 2, 2011

Oil companies do it every weekend in the summer in tourist areas.

Doug · Sep 2, 2011

This was a weird storm, I thought it was projected to peak about noon on Sunday, I really underestimated it.

I was aware of the high tide issues making it worse. I got up about 10 am on Sun, never heard any winds or anything, thought it was still coming ( power was out), it had hit by then.

I figured it was another false alarm, power out being no big deal. I was waiting for it to come. Then you drive around and see the damage, and like WOW !

I don't think I have ever not had power for almost 5 days before, maybe the 1973 ice storm but I was only like 10 then.

A lot of kind offers were made during this, it is not over for all. WPLR99.1 FM, a rock station from New Haven and a good one turned into an AM radio style talk station giving info. Some folks offered temporary free housing to those that lost homes in East Haven. Lots of good people still exist !

One particuarally bad story.... A guy had a generator running, I guess like at 3am ...a thief goes to the trouble of replacing the generator noise with some old lawnmower....it's almost funny ! My generator turned into a lawnmower overnight !

It's funny and sad at the same time.

Now I've heard of way worse thefts....like stealing a handicapped elderly woman's wheelchair ramp into her home for the aluminum.....if you go that low ,you can play handball against the curb !

I can laugh about boosting the generator in the middle of the night and replacing it with a running lawnmower, that hits my funnybone just right !

Is it acceptable to price gouge and sell generators for $1850 after a hurricane ?

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