“Irresponsible” price gouging by “morally bankrupt” shops in Reading has been slammed by the council and trading standards amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Reading residents have reported a small number of local retailers are raising prices of essential goods in response to the coronavirus crisis, Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) trading standards team has revealed.
Price rises of 100 per cent or more being are being applied to staple foods such as bread and eggs as well as health items such as hand sanitisers and paracetamol, according to reports from Reading consumers.
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The issue is affecting customers nationwide with Trading Standards urging retailers across the country to act responsibly during the coronavirus pandemic.
Councillor Jason Brock, leader of Reading Borough Council (RBC), said: “Price gouging by retailers at this time is entirely irresponsible, even abhorrent in its extremes, and risks denying people – including the most vulnerable in our communities – access to essential food and medicine products.
“NHS workers, social carers, and even retail workers themselves all depend on shops for their personal provisions and it is morally bankrupt for businesses to attempt to profit at their expense in a time of national crisis.
“All businesses have been offered a very substantial package of financial support from the government and they should be conscious of the fact that this support comes attached with an implicit moral responsibility to do the right thing for our residents and workers in Reading.”
Unscrupulous criminals are exploiting fears about COVID-19 – be #ScamAware https://t.co/w6OKeG45ZA
— Reading Council (@ReadingCouncil) March 24, 2020
What have shops been accused of?
There are concerns that retailers are ‘dual pricing’, where customers are charged a higher price at the till than the price on the shelves or stickered on the item.
This practice is illegal and, if caught, retailers could face prosecution.
Trading Standards are also concerned that suppliers of food supplements, herbal remedies and other treatments may be tempted to make false or unsupported claims about the ability of products to cure, prevent or treat the symptoms of coronavirus.
It says no treatment available at retail level will prevent or cure coronavirus and any such claims are likely to be illegal and thoroughly investigated by Trading Standards.
“At a time when neighbourhoods and communities are coming together to support each other, it is despicable that heartless criminals are exploiting members of the public – including some of our most vulnerable citizens – to line their own pockets,” said Lord Toby Harris, chairman of National Trading Standards.
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He added: “I urge everyone to be on their guard for possible COVID-19 scams and to look out for vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours who may become a target for fraudsters.”
Information supplied by the Competition and Marketing Authority can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/competition-and-markets-authority
Dodgy trading: Who to contact
For complaints about traders in the RBC area, photo evidence of dual pricing or coronavirus claims can be sent to consumerprotection@reading.gov.uk. The address of the trader should be included in the email.
Traders and consumers seeking advice or wishing to report matters should also contact their local authority Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 2231133.
Retailers who wish to report suspicious or unjustified price rises by wholesalers or suppliers can also contact the competition and marketing authority at covid.monitoring@cma.gov.uk.
Not just in shops: Scam advertisements warning
Warnings are also being issued about scam advertising during the coronavirus crisis.
The Advertising Standards Authority is working with partners including National Trading Standards and Citizens Advice to tackle rogue businesses and provide consumers with advice to avoid falling victim to coronavirus related scams.
Guy Parker, chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, said: ““Bogus operators often use these situations to prey on people’s fears and exploit their health-related anxieties, in particular by peddling products with misleading and sometimes dangerous health claims.
“Consumers who see ads, whether online, in newspapers, social media, posters or elsewhere, that claim to offer cures or treatments for coronavirus should be highly sceptical.
“We encourage anyone who sees these types of claims to pause, think and report it.”
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