Beware of price gouging as a major storm is predicted to impact 180 million Americans from the Northeast to the Rocky Mountains. Even parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and North and South Carolina are likely to be affected.
Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have statutes or regulations that define price gouging during a time of disaster or emergency. Among them are Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.
In most states, price gouging is a violation of unfair or deceptive trade practices law. Most of these laws provide for civil penalties, as enforced by the state attorney general, while some state laws also enforce criminal penalties .
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has declared a state of emergency throughout New York before the storm.
New York’s price gouging law prevents businesses from taking advantage of consumers by selling essential goods or services at an excessively higher price during market disruptions or emergencies.
“This storm is expected to bring large amounts of snow and dangerously low temperatures to communities throughout our state,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “New Yorkers preparing for this storm should not have to face higher costs for the essentials they need to stay safe.”
When consumers see higher prices on essential goods and services they can file complaints with their state’s Attorney General’s Office.
For a list of attorney generals in each state, visit the website of the National Association of Attorneys General.
When reporting price gouging, consumers should:
- Gather documentation supporting the price gouging – receipts, photos of products and their advertised pricing, invoices, and other items.
- Compare pricing of similar products with other sellers in the area and online. It’s important to note similarities and differences between brands, size/quantity, manufacturers, model numbers, and prices.
- Report the specific increased prices, dates, and places that they saw the increased prices.
- Provide copies of sales receipts and photos of the advertised prices, if available.
Best wishes. Here in the Seattle area, we’re having sunshine – and it’s expected that we’ll set a record or two for less rain. However, we’ve had two atmospheric rivers recently, and I’m sure we’ll get more turns for bad weather before winter is over.
