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Price Gouging Update: GA does nothing, FL getting results

Just after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike wreaked havoc, I posted on price gouging going on in Florida and Georgia.

It's been about a month. What has happened?

Florida:

A Florida gas station accused of price gouging after Hurricane Ike has agreed to reimburse anyone with a receipt who was overcharged for gasoline, under a settlement with the state attorney general.

Kelly Junior #9, a gas station in Quincy, Fla., will also pay the American Red Cross $2,000 under terms of the agreement and pay the costs of the state's investigation into the price gouging.

The price of unleaded gasoline at Kelly Junior #9, individually owned by S and K of Quincy, Inc., increased twice on September 12, starting at $3.99 and ending at $4.29.

That's one of 4,000 being investigated.

Georgia:

Nearly 150 Georgia gas stations are having to defend why they charged inflated prices after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike made fuel scarce over the past month.

The state has subpoenaed sales records from businesses following complaints from 1,500 customers angry over what they were paying at the pump. State officials received reports of gas as high as $9.99 a gallon for regular unleaded, said Bill Cloud, spokesman for the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs.

He said his office is still getting a few dozen calls a day about gas prices.

One station in Cobb County was charging $8.82 a gallon, and a Houston County gas station was asking customers to pay $7 per gallon, Cloud said.

Source here.

How many will ultimately be found to have gouged GA consumers? Does it really take a month to figure out that charging $9.99 is gouging?

Full post as published by A Georgia Lawyer on October 08, 2008 (boomark / email).