Drew Dixon
Barely three weeks after initiating Florida’s price gouging hotline to help nail retailers who jack up costs during a state of emergency, Attorney General Ashley Moody is extending that measure.
The hotline was initiated Sept. 23 in anticipation of Hurricane Helene when Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm which would make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area Sept. 26. But that hotline service and mechanism has not been rescinded since because of a massive recovery following the hit the state took from the massive storm.
Moody announced Sunday that hotline will remain activated now that DeSantis again declared a state of emergency for 35 Florida counties as what is now Tropical Storm Milton in the Gulf of Mexico, which is expected to grow to a hurricane before it slams Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday into Thursday.
“Tropical Storm Milton is expected to rapidly strengthen as it churns through the Gulf of Mexico and heads toward areas in our state that have already experienced tremendous flooding and damage from Hurricane Helene. We are extending Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline to help Floridians prepare for this new challenge. I’m urging everyone to monitor weather reports, get preparations in place and follow the guidance of local authorities. Stay Safe, Florida,” Moody said in a Sunday news release.
Under Florida law, it is illegal for retailers in the state to artificially jack up prices on essential products or goods once a state of emergency has been declared for any county in the state that falls under that state of emergency. Anyone who suspects a retailer is gouging customers at the cash register can report them at a state website established by the State Attorney’s Office. Florida residents can also place a telephone call to 1(866) 9NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226) to report suspected retailers.
State officials have also established a separate website under the Attorney General’s Office that explains how price gouging works. Anyone found guilty of price gouging is subject to civil penalties up to $1,000 per offense.
