[OP]
Contributor
Menards has N95 masks on the front page of their website for two for $40 with a $20 mail in rebate. Home Depot has the same two pack for $7.47! Most Home Depot stores are showing limited quantities on hand which probably means out of stock.
Menards is most certainly trying to capitalize on COVID-19 with their mask pricing. I thought big retailers would not engage in this kind of pricing.
Contributor
California's governor Gavin Newsome declared a statewide emergency due to the virus about a week ago. I thought that seemed silly. Turns out that during a declared emergency price gouging is not allowed for stuff like food,water, and face masks. A maximum of 10% price increase is allowed during the emergency.
The attorney General was on TV the other day and he said keep the receipts and turn it into the state so the seller can be sued for money back and a penalty fee. He seemed to be saying go ahead and buy the high priced goods and let him take care of getting refunds? I have no idea how this will effect online sales into California.
I would think getting refunds for lots of voters can only help his political career.
Bill D.
Moderator
...and masks are largely ineffective anyway. Go figure. Wash thy hands frequently and try to keep from touching your face...
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
Sounds like a practical approach, you get the goods you want now and if the store is guilty of price gouging they can be charged later and you can get a refund. You seem to be suggesting the AG is doing it for political reasons rather than accepting it as a practical solution.Originally Posted by Bill Dufour
Contributor
Wouldn't a mask keep you from touching your face?
Member
Claim: ‘Face masks don’t work’
Wearing a face mask is certainly not an iron-clad guarantee that you won’t get sick – viruses can also transmit through the eyes and tiny viral particles, known as aerosols, can penetrate masks. However, masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus, and some studies have estimated a roughly fivefold protection versus no barrier alone (although others have found lower levels of effectiveness).
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ading-covid-19
Moderator
Maybe...at least part of it. But viruses are really tiny things and outside of specialized masks made specifically for health care, they offer a lot less protection than many folks think. People are buying masks that are designed for nuisance dust type applications and expecting them to protect them from something that's much, much smaller than dust particles. Viruses are typically 20 to 400 nanometres in diameter...0.004 to 0.1 microns in size.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
One of our neighbors has a background in public health. We were chatting about it and he basically said the masks only work if you never touch them with your hands and if you dispose of them on a regular basis. In other words, just wearing a mask around all day isn't going to help. Like Jim says, avoid high-risk area, wash your hands a lot, and don't touch your face. On a side note, I was at the coffee shop yesterday. A young lady jogger runs by, wearing one of these masks. Except hers was pulled up over her nose but with her mouth 100% OPEN and EXPOSED. Like, in order to breathe while running. Not sure if that is in the manual.
Erik
Ex-SCM and Felder rep
Contributor
What masks ARE good for is to *help* keep YOU from spreading the virus if you happen to have it...
========================================
ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
FOUR - CO2 lasers
THREE- make that FOUR now- fiber lasers
ONE - vinyl cutter
CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle
Moderator
Perhaps...but given the breathing discomfort that's reported to be a factor with Covid-19, wearing something that's even mildly restrictive to breathing might be, um...uncomfortable.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Contributor
And that's why the best thing to do if you have symptoms is stay home and away fro other people. Only go out is you have to and then wear a mask.
Contributor
I suspect it is a bit naive to think the CA Attorney General is concerned with getting the public refunds on masks, etc.
He is most likely anticipating hitting big retailers with heavy fines that would go in State coffers.
Any refunds are merely a vehicle to allow him to do so, along with garnering good publicity toward re-election time.
Cynical me.
Last edited by Rick Potter; 03-10-2020 at 2:57 AM.
Rick Potter
DIY journeyman,
FWW wannabe.
AKA Village Idiot.
Member
Banning "price gouging" during an emergency is dumb. All it does is ensure and prolong shortage of the good in concern. By allowing price to increase, that incentivizes new entrants into the supply chain, which will alleviate the shortage and bring the price back down.
Member
Yup, supply vs demand. It works.
Life's too short to use old sandpaper.
Contributor
No, due to discomfort and unfamiliarity with masks you touch your face more often.
This can simply be to adjust or shift the mask slightly.
If you haven’t been trained and tested on mask usage they don’t tend to work well....Rod
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote