(This info also applies to consumers in any county in Texas that was affected by Hurricane Harvey. Please pass the info along to anyone who might experience or have experienced this)
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urges residents to report any price-gouging and scams related to the Hurricane Harvey flood to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
The state agency’s toll-free consumer fraud hotline is 1-800-621-0508. Go to https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/emergency/hurricane-harvey
“Any business or individual who tries to make flood victims into victims again, by jacking up prices on their products or services, or by failing to do work for which they have been paid, needs to be quickly reported to the state of Texas,” the mayor said. “Their shameful behavior should lead to them being publicly shamed.”
In Texas, offenders who engage in price gouging can face fines of up to $20,000 per offense, and up to $250,000 if the victim is 65 or older.
Reports of price-gouging in Houston after the flood have been scattered. Across the state, hundreds of people have complained about the practice following Hurricane Harvey, according to the state.
