As South Florida residents are preparing for heavy rainfall from Hurricane Milton, officials are reminding the public that price gouging is illegal and can be easily reported to the proper authorities.
“It is against the law to take advantage of others by raising prices on essential goods and services during emergencies,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a news release issued Tuesday.
Recommended Videos
To report any suspicion of price gouging on items such as gas, water, food, hotel stays and generators, South Florida residents may call the Florida Attorney General’s Price Gouging Hotline at 1-866-966-7226, or submit a complaint online by clicking here.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office also has its own hotline for price gouging complaints: 305-547-3300.
Those who file a complaint are asked to include the business name, physical address, items believed to price-gouged and a photo of the receipt.
“Charging ‘unconscionable prices’ for essential items in short supply prior to a disaster and during the early recovery period is illegal,” the Miami-Dade County website states. “An ‘unconscionable price’ is determined by comparing the price asked during an emergency with the price charged for the same commodity during the preceding 30-day period.”
Read the story in Spanish by clicking here.
FOR THE LATEST UPDATES, visit Local 10′s hurricane page, the weather page for the hourly local forecast, sign up for the free Talking Tropics newsletter and download the free tracker mobile app on the Apple Store or Google Play.