With Gov. Roy Cooper declaring a State of Emergency for Tropical Storm Debby, the state’s price gouging law has officially gone into effect.
The law applies to essential items and services, ranging from water and food to gas and batteries, and extends to repairs in the storm’s aftermath.
“What we don’t want as for sellers of goods or services, to take advantage of people’s desperation, to make a quick buck,” Attorney General Josh Stein said. “It’s not an objective measure. There’s not a percentage increase. It’s very subjective. And the law says unreasonably excessive price increase. And so part of it is the eye of the beholder. We have a lot of experience with this. So that’s why we encourage folks to let us know so we can investigate, because you may not be sure if it’s price gouging or not, let us take a look.”
However, not all price increases are necessarily violations of the law.
“Are there up charges coming from your suppliers or that the product is in high demand and so you’re having to pay more for it to get it on your shelf or to put it in your pump,” Andy Ellen, the President and General Counsel of the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, explained when asked about some reasons prices could increase without violating the price gouging law.
The law has been in place since 2005, with Ellen explaining operators are fully aware of their responsibilities.
“They’re the pillar of their communities. They don’t want to charge more than they’re supposed to,” said Ellen.
Stein noted his office has taken about two dozen companies to court over the past few years, and won back more than $1 million stemming from violations.
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Publish date : 2024-08-06 09:43:00
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