NewsFlorida News

Actions

Florida Attorney General's price gouging hotline has been ringing nonstop for the past three weeks, according to the office.

More than 1,200 complaints were reported in March
Posted
and last updated

The Florida Attorney General's price gouging hotline has been ringing nonstop for the past three weeks, according to the office.

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS

The AG's Office told Taking Action Reporter Jackie Callaway it has received more than 1,200 complaints of price gouging so far, including reports of $10,000 for a pack of toilet paper and face masks being sold for $200.

Toilet-paper-price-gouging-taking-action-for-you.png

But what exactly is price gouging? In Florida, there’s no exact definition.

According to state law, price gouging is "an amount that grossly exceeds the average price" for a product.

RECOMMENDED: Scammers are already targeting your stimulus check, Florida Attorney General warns

Consumer attorney Billy Howard told ABC Action News there's a reason there's no formula.

“If there was an exact definition, then these criminals would try to work around it,” said Howard.

The AG's Office said it reviews "each allegation of price gouging on a case-by-case basis."

As of the end of March, the state's top prosecutor said her office has contacted nearly 2,000 merchants for price gouging complaints and got refunds of nearly $80,000 for Florida consumers.

If you think you have been a victim of price gouging, you can call the state's Price Gouging Hotline at 1-866-966-7226 or file a complaint online here.