Hurricane Harvey victims report unfair price gouging

Flood victims in Houston and surrounding areas say stores are unfairly raising prices for food, water and other essentials in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Meg Oliver reports from Houston.

---
CBSN is the first digital streaming news network that will allow Internet-connected consumers to watch live, anchored news coverage on their connected TV and other devices. At launch, the network is available 24/7 and makes all of the resources of CBS News available directly on digital platforms with live, anchored coverage 15 hours each weekday. CBSN. Always On.

[steveo]

They get a fine. How does that help the people who need the items and who's pocket does that fine go into? Fines are a joke.

[eddenoy]

Don't you just love the way Texans just help and show their love to complete strangers in a time of crisis ?

[nickworster]

This is why you should always prepare before a storm

[byron]

they do this then wonder why people decide to loot

[takeover]

It's America, capitalism and profit rules... right?

[robbinhall]

That's not right. It should be illegal.!!!!it's just a real dirty thing to do to the people. Especially at this time of need!!

[kewalos]

That's actually a good thing.
If we let prices surge, more people will be motivated to ship the resources to the disaster site quicker.
People will only buy something if they are willing to buy it at the new price.
As time goes on, more supplies will reach the area, and prices will fall once supply saturates, .

[Animeculture]

Welcome to Oligarch America! where we pretend to be for the people behind the fancy name of Democracy! *sales smile and thumbs up*

[Honeysmile]

supply and demand, due to limited supply but high demand - vendors or producers must inflate prices just to balance out demand whilst preserving supplies for consumers.

[econtcher]

Search price gouging just here on youtube! Do not get your information from the news! This is not politics or greed at its best. It is economics. try watching an economist view of price gouging.

[charlieabel]

Who exactly decides what is an excessive price? Right now, not being in a disaster, I can buy a propane tank gauge at the hardware store for $25, but if I go to the big home improvement store down the road, it's $13.88. So if I'm in dire need and go to the hardware store, are they "gouging" me? So who decides?