The Pink Tax --- it’s been outlawed in New York State. A version of a product marketed to women can’t cost more than the same product marketed to men, or vice versa.
Paula O’ Brien, the director of the state’s Division of Consumer Protection, said a study done a few years ago by New York City found this to be a problem. “On average,” she said, “they found that women’s products cost 7% more than similar products for men, but it’s important to note that in some instances products marketed towards men cost more than those marketed towards women.”
O’Brien says the law is designed to insure pricing equity, regardless of gender.
She said she found unequal pricing even with children’s toys. “I bought a LEGO table that was the primary colors of blue and red and yellow marketed towards boys,” she said, “and then you had right next to it a LEGO table in pink and purple colors marketed towards girls that was $10 difference in price.”
O’Brien said under the new law a retailer would have to justify a higher price for either gender by showing one version cost more to make. “They would have to demonstrate the difficulty in marketing, the amount of time it took to manufacture the product, the cost incurred in manufacturing the product, labor use,” she said.
If you find this type of unequal pricing, you can file a complaint with New York’s Department of State at www.dos.ny.gov.