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AG investigating Plymouth gas station for price gouging after 7 Action News report

Gas prices are up 31 percent from last Memorial Day. Here's why
Posted at 9:47 AM, May 27, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-27 09:47:47-04

(WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a notice of intended action to a gas station in Plymouth after 7 Action News reported on price-gouging practices.

RELATED: Regular unleaded priced at $3.89/gal at BP in Plymouth; Premium listed for $4.89

On May 18, 7 Action News Reporter Kim Craig reported the BP gas station on Ann Arbor Road, just east of I-275 in Plymouth Township, listed $3.899 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas.

In a letter to the owner of the gas station, Nessel stated her office has probable cause to believe the gas station violated the Michigan Consumer Protection Act and could result in injunctive actions.

"Prices offered to consumers that day were grossly in excess of the prices at which gasoline was being sold in Michigan generally, as well as in your community," the letter stated.

After the initial 7 Action News story aired, an investigator from the AG's office visited the gas station the following day and also looked at pricing from competitors in the area.

According to the letter, the owner's representatives offered "inconsistent and unsatisfactory responses" to questions aimed at trying to identify a legitimate explanation for these prices.

The AG's office said it is taking steps to either file a civil lawsuit pursuant or commence a formal investigation if there is no voluntary compliance through the MCPA.