Consumers Should Beware of Price Gouging in Wake of Storms

In response to the tornadoes and severe storms that hit Georgia on March 1, 2007, Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in the following counties:  Baker, Clay, Crawford, McDuffie, Mitchell, Muscogee, Stewart, Sumter and Taylor, thus enacting Georgia’s Price Gouging Statute.  On March 6, 2007 President George W. Bush approved a Federal Disaster Declaration for those same Georgia counties.

As residents who have been devastated by these storms struggle to put their lives back together, they may find themselves vulnerable to individuals trying to profit from these calamities.  Fortunately, there is protection against such price gouging under Georgia law.  The law states that during a declared state of emergency, businesses, within the designated counties, may not sell any goods or services necessary to protect your health, your safety, or your property at prices higher than the prices at which those same goods or services were offered before the state of emergency was declared.  Prices are allowed to be raised if they accurately pass on increases in the cost of acquiring and/or transporting new stock.

Based on the nature of the recent storms, Georgia residents in the affected counties should be specifically wary of businesses overcharging for tree cutting services, lumber and construction materials.  If you suspect or have been the victim of price gouging, contact the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-869-1123.

Individuals who have been severely affected by these storms may seek disaster relief through the government by contacting FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).