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Price Gougers Look to Cash in on Fay

August 19th, 2008 by flanews

The State Attorney General’s Office is investigating more than 60 reports of business owners jacking up prices trying to make a quick buck off Tropical Storm Fay. As Whitney Ray tells us, most of the complaints are about gas prices, but some say they’re seeing water prices skyrocket as well.

Hear it Here: Price Gougers Look to Cash in on Fay

Kim D’Amico gets paid to ask questions. Kim answers the state’s price gouging hotline. Monday she and her co-workers received twice as many calls as normal. The common complaint, some gas stations are trying to make a quick buck off Tropical Storm Fay.

“A lot of the complaints we’ve been getting are just gas stations that are only selling premium,” said D’Amico.

It’s not just gas people are calling about, reports of price gouging on goods like water and batters are also coming into the call center.

State law forbids business owners from drastically raising prices during or after a storm. Call center director Katherine Pennington said investigators will be busy after Fay passes.

“We have had a couple of calls about the price of water going up in a few places. We don’t know yet if that will actually constitute price gouging. Our Economic Crimes unit will do that investigation,” said Pennington.

While Fay may pass with few victims, business owners may try and claim a few of their own, but if they get caught, the fines could cost them more money than any storm damage they may have suffered.

Posted in Gas Prices, McCollum, State News, Weather | 1 Comment »

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