Price Gouging Rampant as Irma Approaches
September 8th, 2017 by Mike Vasilinda
More than 25 hundred price gouging complaints have been filed with the state since yesterday morning (WED), and as Mike Vasilinda tells us. the phones continue to ring off the hook.
1100 price gouging complaints were filed online overnight thru Thursday morning. Water and gas prices remain at the top of the list. Hannah Cope says water was the most egregious complaint she received.
“Someone was charging over seventy dollars for a pack of water” she told us.
Attorney General Pam Bondi is taking one gas supplier, Chevron to task.
“We’ve received multiple complaints about Chevron, especially in south Florida. Some of the prices were seven dollars, some were six. Whether they were charging that, I don’t know. Chevron, if you weren’t, reach out and tell me, because I need to know that because you will not be taking advantage of our citizens” says Bondi.
The Attorney General hopes that by singling out one supplier, everyone else will pay attention and keep their prices low.
There are 50 call center employees at the State Capitol. Calls Thursday were averaging a hundred an hour. Call Center Specialist Jack Hagadorn says the calls were non stop.
“we’re here today till eleven, and it’s not slowing down” says the Call Center Specialist.
Operators are working as many as 15 hours a day, but they’re less grumpy than the people on the other end of the phone. Martin Green was happy to be helping.
“Yeah, they feel like they’re being taken advantage of at at time they are most vulnerable. Right now, the whole state is” Green told us.
The Attorney General says those preying on the public are simply stealing with possible life threatening consequences.
“You’re supposed to be helping you fellow human being at a time of crisis, not hurting them. And I’m going to do everything in my power to destroy them if they are hurting our citizens” says the Attorney General.
we asked: “And what do you find more effective, the fine or the bully pulpit”.
“Both” she responded.
Companies found to have violated the law face fines of up to twenty five thousand dollars a day.
You can file a price gouging report online at myfloridalegal.com, ,or you can call 1-866-9-No-Scam.
Price Gouging Package Script:
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