LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Western New York mother ordered water during last weekend’s storm and noticed something strange. The price appeared to change before she checked out.
Skylar Landon lives in Lackawanna and is the mother of a young infant. During the winter storm, she told 7 News her pipes froze for a period of time. She said she was concerned they could remain frozen or refreeze, which would make it difficult to access clean water while caring for her baby.
With an infant at home, Skylar said having water available is critical for washing and sanitizing bottles and preparing formula. As a precaution, she turned to a grocery delivery app to order bottled water.
While placing the order through the DoorDash app, on Saturday before the snowstorm, Skylar took screenshots showing the same gallon of water listed at two different prices during the same order. One screen showed the item priced at $1.59. The water was priced at $4.49 at checkout.
Concerned, she contacted 7 News.
WATCH: ‘Just shocking’: Storm delivery price jump prompts questions; DoorDash cites error, points to Wegmans
"That was just shocking to me, there are tons of people who rely on delivery services," she said.
Skylar said she was planning ahead. She later filed a complaint with New York State, citing the price discrepancy and concerns about how essential items are priced during emergencies.
7 News contacted DoorDash.
In a statement, DoorDash said the issue was caused by a technical error in the pricing information and not a weather-related price increase.
"For Wegmans orders on DoorDash, Wegmans sets the item prices shown at its stores on DoorDash," the company said. "We’re working with the merchant to correct it and appreciate this being brought to our attention."
DoorDash also said the pricing issue did not affect delivery or service fees and added that it does not increase item prices based on emergency or severe weather events.
7 News reached out to Wegmans to ask what caused the pricing error, whether the company was aware of the issue, and if it has been corrected. Wegmans sent us the following statement.
"Wegmans supplies all pricing information to DoorDash. In the issue you flagged, there was a technical error in how DoorDash processed the pricing information Wegmans provided. This resulted in the discrepancy you saw for the gallon of water. This was not a weather‑related increase or surge pricing. Wegmans does not participate in any form of dynamic pricing.
While we continue to investigate, we have taken immediate steps to prevent additional customers from inadvertently being overcharged. We are working to understand the full impact, and will issue refunds to any customer who was overcharged due to this error."
New York law prohibits excessive price increases for essential items such as food and water during a state of emergency. DoorDash said this case was not price gouging but a technical error.
Third-party apps are covered by the state price gouging law.
Still, Skylar said the experience raised concerns about transparency in app-based pricing, especially during severe weather when families rely on delivery services for basic needs.
