Following severe winter weather in many regions of the Commonwealth, Attorney General Cameron Wednesday encouraged Kentuckians to report suspected price gouging to his office.
"Kentucky's price gouging laws are in effect following the Governor's emergency declaration, and we've activated our online price gouging form to enable Kentuckians to easily report instances of suspected price gouging related to the forecasted snow and ice storms," said Cameron. "Our goal is to protect Kentuckians from predatory pricing that may arise due to inclement weather. Report price gouging immediately by visiting https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/AttorneyGeneral/PriceGougingComplaintForm."
KRS 367.374 regulates the sale or rental of goods and services when a state of emergency is in effect and states that no person shall sell or rent an item for a price "which is grossly in excess of the price prior to the declaration." Goods and services included in this prohibition include consumer food items; goods or services used for emergency cleanup; emergency supplies; medical supplies; home heating oil; building materials; housing; transportation, freight, and storage services; and gasoline or other motor fuels.
When filing a price gouging complaint, Kentuckians are encouraged to report as many details as possible about the suspected price gouging, including the name and address of the seller/retailer, the item purchased, the price of the item after the emergency declaration, and the price of the item before the emergency declaration, if known. If a refund is sought, consumers should also keep receipts from the transaction to show proof of purchase.
Kentuckians may also report suspected price gouging via phone by calling the Attorney General's Natural Disaster Fraud Hotline at 502-696-5485.
Categories: Kentucky, Government & Policy, Weather