The disaster triggers an anti-price gouging law in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that the state's anti-price gouging law is now in effect as Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency due to Hurricane Helene.

“We can expect normal price increases and these are not considered price gouging under our law. However, companies and individuals may try to take undue advantage of the situation by driving up the prices of food, gasoline, housing and other goods defined in the law. Under our law, this is a criminal offense and an unfair trade practice,” Wilson said.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

View the map of Georgia power outages

Hurricane Helene continues to impact Georgia and has caused widespread outages. Teams respond to outages and safely restore power where possible as quickly as possible.

The Price Gouging Act is a general ban on unreasonable prices in times of disaster. It applies until the expiry or end of the state of emergency. Price gougers can be charged with overpricing, a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and/or 30 days in jail.

Normal price fluctuations are to be expected and do not constitute price gouging. However, if you feel you are a victim of price gouging, there are certain steps you can take to help our office investigate. Please proceed as follows:

• Write down the time, location, address and name of the gas station or business.
• Be aware of the price you pay.
• Note all the prices nearby and get the same information about these stations or companies.
• Take photos that identify the company and price.
• Include your name and contact information.

Email examples and documentation to [email protected]. You can also call 803-737-3953 and leave a message.

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