Unscrupulous vendors hoping to capitalize on current market conditions, product shortages or any other unfair pricing face new, even tighter restrictions put into place by a gubernatorial executive order this afternoon.
Following a 1pm press conference on this Sunday afternoon, March 15th, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-8, which temporarily imposes enhanced restrictions on the excessive pricing of goods, materials, emergency supplies, and consumer food items.
Executive Order 2020-8 states that if a business or individual has acquired any product from a retailer, the business or individual must not resell that product in Michigan at a price that is grossly in excess of the purchase price of the product.
Additionally, a business or individual must not offer for sale or sell any product in Michigan at a price that is more than 20-percent higher than what the business or individual offered or charged for that same product as of March 9th, 2020, unless the business or individual demonstrates that the price increase is attributable to an increase in the cost of bringing the product to market.
These enhanced restrictions go into effect tomorrow morning, on March 16, 2020 at 9:00am, and will remain in place until April 13, 2020 at 11:59pm.
Gov. Whitmer says, “We will continue to take every measure we can to mitigate the spread of coronavirus and protect Michigan families,”adding, “In these challenging times, we need to come together as Michiganders. This order will help protect consumers from price gouging. Additionally, I’m working jointly with the Attorney General to enforce these orders, to protect consumers, and to hold bad actors accountable. We will get through this together.”
