North and South Carolina attorney generals have announced that the law against price gouging is now in effect.
This decision came after both states declared a state of emergency due to Hurricane Helene.
“With the possibility that Hurricane Helene could affect South Carolina after making landfall in Florida, we all need to be prepared. We can expect normal price increases, and those are not considered price gouging under our law. But we may see businesses and individuals looking to unfairly take advantage of the situation through price gouging of food, gasoline, lodging, and other commodities as defined by the statute. By our law, that’s a criminal violation and an unfair trade practice,” Wilson said.
“Hurricane Helene is expected to impact much of the state, especially the Piedmont and mountains,” Stein said. “Make sure you are prepared and follow local emergency guidelines. As you prepare for the storm and it concludes, watch out for price gougers, and report it to my office if you see it.”