A State of Emergency has been declared due to the Coronavirus. With store shelves emptied of soup, tp, and sanitizer, businesses are being warned against raising prices on in-demand items.
Price gouging law protects people impacted by an emergency from illegal price gouging on medical supplies, food, gas, and other essential supplies. Price gouging is illegal during a declared state of emergency. In general, stores that carry certain supplies—such as food, emergency supplies, and medical supplies—cannot charge more than 10% of the price of that item before the declaration of emergency.
The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations, and rental housing.
If you have been the victim of price gouging or know of a situation where a business may be charging excessively for goods in high demand, you should immediately file a complaint. They will ask you to provide as much detail as possible, so take out that smart phone and snap a photo. Price gouging can be reported by calling 1-866-9-NO-SCAM or by clicking on this link MyFloridaLegal.com
Those who are found guilty of the state’s price-gouging statute are subject to penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.
