Floridians report price gouging in wake of Tropical Storm Isaac
Aug 28, 2012
The following article was published in The Tampa Tribune on August 28, 2012:
Floridians Report Price Gouging in the Wake of Isaac
By The Associated Press
The state’s price gouging hotline has been lighting up in the wake of Tropical Storm Isaac.
The South Florida SunSentinel reports 160 people had filed complaints about possible price gouging by Monday afternoon.
Florida Attorney General’s Office spokesman John Lucas says many of the complaints have to do with the hiking of gas prices. Others are concerned with the price of lumber, food and ice.
Florida prohibits vendors from grossly exceeding the average price of a commodity during a state of emergency unless the seller can justify the cost. Violators face civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation and up to $25,000 for multiple violations in a 24-hour period.
Suspected price gouging can be reported to the state’s hotline at 866-966-7226.
View the original article here: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_ISAAC_PRICE_GOUGING_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-08-28-06-06-15