Florida's price gouging hotline has logged nearly 4,000 calls, complaining of inflated prices on essential commodities.
Items covered by Florida’s price-gouging law under the state of emergency include protective masks, sanitizing and disinfecting supplies, commercial cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment and COVID-19 test kits.
“For more than a month now, my investigators and attorneys have been working diligently to deter price-gouging, secure refunds, and hold bad actors accountable,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “These efforts are producing results.”
The state price-gouging hotline was activated by Moody on March 10, after Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency because of the coronavirus. So far, 69 subpoenas have been issued as part of investigations into price-gouging on high-demand items amid the pandemic.
“We are in the field, aggressively pursuing these complaints in real time,” Moody said. "We want to make sure that during this time of crisis, we are ensuring that Floridians can get the commodities that they need.”
More than $275,000 in refunds have been returned to Floridians, thanks to information gathered by the AG’s office through hundreds of tips provided by consumers.
“When you combat issues of crime, deceit or fraud in communities, having the help of community members, asking them to help us, is one of the biggest tools we have. It is a team effort.”
The efforts, says Moody, are producing results. Her message to consumers: keep in touch.
“I want to encourage Floridians to keep these reports coming; and we will continue our effort to deter price-gouging and hold gougers accountable.”
Anyone wishing to file a price-gouging complaint with the Attorney General’s office can do so by one of three ways.
“You can call 1-866-9NO SCAM; visit www.myfloridalegal.com, or download our price-gouging reporting app NOSCAM on your smartphone,” Moody said.
Those convicted of violating Florida’s price gouging law face penalties of $1,000 per violation, up to $25,000 per day.