Price gouging

$5,000 and $10,000 fine isn't enough. The fine should be high enough that they are forced to go bankrupt and sell the business to pay the fines. Someone else can then buy the stations out of bankruptcy. They need to be made an example of. That is a slap on the wrist as far as I am concerned. It is theft! And should be treated as such.
 
$5K and $10K are fairly hefty fines considering they have to pay back all of the extra profits they gained from the gouging. However, I do think the fines should be higher.
 
I thought those fines were pretty rough. Unless gas stations are a lot more profitable than I think they are I suspect they'll hurt them enough to prevent them from doing it again.

(Just thinking out loud)
$5-10k in fines
$2-3k in returned profits
$5k in attorney's fees?
----------------------
$12-18k mistake

That hurts.
 
thats dumb. if you don't like the price, don't buy the product!

Attorney General Roy Cooper is an elected official, of course he will do some showboating like this to get people to keep electing him.
 
If you or I stole several thousand dollars, we would be put in jail and then when released, our wages would be garnished to repay who we stole from. Those fines are a joke. The stations should be put out of business.

I also believe in public execution. Bring back hanging out front of the courthouses of our country.
 
drkelly said:
If you or I stole several thousand dollars, we would be put in jail and then when released, our wages would be garnished to repay who we stole from. Those fines are a joke. The stations should be put out of business.
I also believe in public execution. Bring back hanging out front of the courthouses of our country.
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Yes, but if someone paid you $1200 for a $500 set of tires because that was your asking price, and noone else was selling that size, should you be fined and/or hung?

The prices may be ridiculous and unfair, but life ain't fair. I bet it kept people who didn't need gas from filling up, which in turn provided gas for those who really did.
 
drkelly said:
If you or I stole several thousand dollars, we would be put in jail and then when released, our wages would be garnished to repay who we stole from. Those fines are a joke. The stations should be put out of business.
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Din't be rediculous.
Stealing is taking something from somebody w/o their permisison.
People willingly and knowingly paid the price.
it would be theft if teh sign said $3.99 and they charged $5.50.

This is called "capitolism".
Don't like it? Fine, can't blame you. But I don't want to hear any bitching about anti-capitolistic government policies then, iether.
 
Gas is not an optional commodity, hence my views on the subject.
 
drkelly said:
Gas is not an optional commodity, hence my views on the subject.
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Yes, it IS an optional commodity. The alternatives are not very appealing, but it is in fact optional. You havet he choice to not buy or use a gas powered vehicle. Millions of Americans live this way.
More importantly, you have the option of whom to purchase it from.
The fact is, quite simply, they own something people want. They can chanrge what they want for it. This is what we call Free Market Capitolism, and the nasty ugly downside to it.
 
So I guess it's ok to charge $25 for a gallon of water after a earthquake or hurricane to right?
 
RatLabGuy said:
Yes, it IS an optional commodity. The alternatives are not very appealing, but it is in fact optional. You havet he choice to not buy or use a gas powered vehicle. Millions of Americans live this way.
More importantly, you have the option of whom to purchase it from.
The fact is, quite simply, they own something people want. They can chanrge what they want for it. This is what we call Free Market Capitolism, and the nasty ugly downside to it.
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You are a jackass.
 
Jeff B said:
So I guess it's ok to charge $25 for a gallon of water after a earthquake or hurricane to right?
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*I never said it was an ok thing to do*

It's a pretty shitbag thing to do, and the owners deserve a hot poker in the face. I like to think that dude wil lat least get his own little place in Hell.

All I'm saying is, this is just something that goes along with Capitolism.
Many folks on this site bitch and whine and groan about anything that is seen as regulatory or anti-capitolistic or, heaven forbid the dirty word, "socialistic". Yet, nobody seems to mind complaining about thing like this - which, conveniently, can be curbed by these very same measures.

My stance is simple - true capitolism has some pretty serious problems, and this is a prime example, just like fat cat CEOs w/ $million paychecks. Therefore I'm perfectly in favor of mixing in other philosophies, including regulation and socializing policies.
You think gas is a required commodity? Probably so, for many, many people.
Fine, then we should incorporate it like a utility and have it regulated. Even better, how about state owned? That would end this problem quickly. But, oh yeah - also get me labeled as an American-hating socialist for even suggesting such a thing. Ooooh, no, can't have that.

drkelly said:
You are a jackass.
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Wow, you really got me there. Good comeback. :flipoff2:
 
:popcorn:
 
true capitalism and true socialism never works or is never really practical. We've adjusted the US by making small but effective modifications to our government to try to normalize and steady business. Monopolies are illegal, but typically are developed legally and because of someone who knows business well. Should they be punished for working the system? I don't think so, but it helps to keep the economy flowing and lets the little guy stay in business a little more
 
RatLabGuy said:
Fine, then we should incorporate it like a utility and have it regulated.
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Agree.

And I was a little worked up earlier. For some reason this issue gets to me more than most.
 
I agree with Dave on this....anything in excess...funny how that old ass Book has an answer for all of life's troubles, yet modern "sophsticated" texts cant be all encompassing....
 
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