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Public Hyper-Aware About Pandemic Pricing

Agriculture, Weights and Measures maintains a consumer help line at (415) 473-7888. If a consumer believes he or she has been overcharged, becomes aware of posted prices not being honored at the checkout stand, or is unable to view the prices of items when a purchase is being rung up, please call the helpline immediately so staff can investigate.

Published

4 years ago

March 19, 2022

Oakland Post

The new Marin County Consumer Protection Report shows a decline in overcharging frequency during the fiscal year between July 2020 and June 2021. Inspectors conducted 6,449 inspections at 307 businesses during that span to ensure accuracy of measuring devices and store prices.

Supervisors hear findings from Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures

Courtesy of Marin County

When it comes to consumerism, one positive result of the pandemic is increased awareness of price gouging. Last year, one Marin County pharmacy had COVID-19 take-home tests priced much higher than competing stores, and shoppers alerted the Marin County Department of Agriculture / Weights and Measures (AWMs).

AWMs Inspector Raoul Wertz said the COVID-19-related executive order from Governor Gavin Newsom that prohibited sharply increased pricing during or after an emergency expired in September 2020. Earlier in 2020, AWMs established a new working relationship with the District Attorney’s fraud division back when there were rushes on particular goods at local stores. Starting in April 2020, the executive order prohibited businesses from pricing items with more than a 10% price increase from what it was charging two months earlier. That included emergency and medical supplies such as face coverings.

Consumer pricing complaints jumped 40% over the previous year, but since the executive order expired, it hasn’t been illegal to price items higher than competitors.

“We didn’t get the referrals from the DA as much as we did earlier in the pandemic, but we still got gouging-related complaints from the public,” Wertz said. “It’s mostly opinion about where those COVID-19 tests should’ve been priced. We’re back to what the market will bear. People having lived that experience of the previous spring and witnessing the inflated prices has them on high alert.”

The new 2021 Marin County Consumer Protection Report, presented to the Marin County Board of Supervisors on March 8, shows a decline in overcharging frequency during the fiscal year between July 2020 and June 2021. It went from 4.1% of investigated cases in the 2020 report to 3.1%. However, businesses that passed their price accuracy inspections fell by 14%. The full report is online in English and Spanish, and all past reports are archived.

“Our department encourages all consumers to shop with care, pay attention to posted prices and promotional offers, and to always retain and check their receipts to ensure they pay the correct price for merchandise and services they purchase,” said AWMs Director Stefan Parnay.

There were 150 notices of violation issued in the 2020-21 fiscal year to 107 local businesses. When AWMs inspectors find violations, businesses receive a notice of violation. The department’s goal is to gain compliance through education and outreach, but there would likely be a fine if the violation is egregious or the business has repeatedly received the same type of violations.

This marked the sixth consecutive year the AWMs staff produced a Consumer Protection Report. The department’s weights and measures inspection staff has only 2.7 full-time positions, but the team spent 4,353 hours conducting 6,449 inspections at 307 businesses to ensure accuracy of measuring devices and store prices. The number of inspections is down almost 2,000 over the previous year because of pandemic working conditions.

“We focused on consumer complaints and investigated them as we always do, but we did postpone some routine inspections as we scaled back our ability to conduct field work,” Wertz said. “That might explain why there was a significant drop in businesses passing our price accuracy inspections.”

Want to watch out for yourself and others more closely? There are helpful consumer tips on the Ag, Weights & Measures website.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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5 days ago

March 7, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.