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Gas prices on the rise in your state? Here’s how to report price gouging
Consumers who believe gas stations in their state are price gouging can report the issue to their state attorney general.
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May 12, 2021
By Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog
Gas prices shot up this week to their highest levels in seven years, largely because of the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline last weekend following a cyber attack.
The national average for gasoline has jumped 8 cents per gallon in the last week, to $3.01, according to AAA. It’s the first time the national average hit $3 since 2014.
In some areas, prices have increased more dramatically, leading to questions of price gouging. For states that have laws against price gouging, most of them don’t recognize a possible violation until the state has declared an emergency. As of Wednesday afternoon, at least four states have declared an emergency surrounding the pipeline shutdown. They are Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
While businesses are permitted to charge higher prices in response to market forces, they aren’t allowed in states with price gouging laws to increase prices excessively to take advantage of a emergency such as the pipeline shutdown, a hurricane or the pandemic. Different states have different benchmarks for what’s excessive, but often, price increases of 20 percent may qualify as price gouging.
Gas prices on Wednesday were highest out West and in Illinois, followed by states such as Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia and Colorado, according to AAA. You can look up the average in your state here.
Consumers who believe gas stations in their state are price gouging can report the issue to their state attorney general. Here’s the information you should provide:
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The name of state and the address.
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The price and the type of gasoline.
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The date and time.
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Photo evidence.
In part because of the shutdown and in part because some consumers fear shortages, more drivers are filling up to guard against an empty tank. Numerous states are reporting huge numbers of gas stations have run out of gas, according to GasBuddy. Most are in the Southeast and include: 65 percent of stations in North Carolina, more than 40 percent of stations in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia, 16 percent of stations in Tennessee, and 6 to 11 percent of stations in Alabama, Florida, Maryland and Washington DC.
How can I report price gouging?
You should report suspected price gouging to the company and your state’s attorney general. Here’s the contact information for each state’s attorney general:
Alabama
Online Report Form: https://www.alabamaag.gov/consumercomplaint
Phone Number: 334-242-7335
Alaska
Online Report Form: http://www.law.state.ak.us/department/civil/consumer/cp_complaint.html
Phone Number: 907-269-5200
E-mail: [email protected]
Arizona
Online Report Form: https://consumer-complaint.azag.gov/publiccomplaint/begin.aspx
Phone Number: (602) 542-5763
E-mail: [email protected]
Arkansas
Online Report Form: https://arkansasag.gov/covid19/report/
Phone Number: (501) 682-2007
E-mail: [email protected]
California
Online Report Form: https://oag.ca.gov/contact/consumer-complaint-against-business-or-company
Colorado
Online Report Form: https://coag.gov/file-complaint/report-consumer-fraud/
Phone Number: 720-508-6000
Connecticut
Online Report Form: https://www.dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint/
Phone Number: 860-808-5420
E-mail: [email protected]
Delaware
Online Report Form: https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cpu/complaint/
Phone Number: (302) 577-8600
E-mail: [email protected]
Florida
Online Report Form: http://www.myfloridalegal.com/Contact.nsf/PriceGouging!OpenForm
Phone Number: (866) 9NO-SCAM
Georgia
Online Report Form: http://ocp.ga.gov/form/consumer-complaint/step1
Phone Number: (404) 651-8600
Hawaii
Report Form: https://cca.hawaii.gov/ocp/files/2018/02/Complaint-Form-and-Instruction-2018-WEB.pdf
Phone Number: (808) 586-2630
E-mail: [email protected]
Idaho
Online Report Form: https://www.ag.idaho.gov/office-resources/online-forms/?form=File%20a%20Complaint&complaint=Consumer%20Complaint
Phone Number: 208-334-2400
Illinois
Online Report Form: https://ccformsubmission.ilattorneygeneral.net/
Phone Number: 1-800-386-5438 (Chicago)
1-800-243-0618 (Springfield)
1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale)
Línea Gratuita en Español: 1-866-310-8398
Indiana
Online Report Form: https://indianaattorneygeneral.secure.force.com/ConsumerComplaintForm
Phone Number: 317.232.6330
Iowa
Online Report Form: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-consumers/file-a-consumer-complaint/complaint-form
Phone Number: 515-281-5926
E-mail: [email protected]
Kansas
Online Report Form: https://ag.ks.gov/complaint-center/consumer
Phone Number: (785) 296-3751
Kentucky
Online Report Form: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/AttorneyGeneral/PriceGougingComplaintForm
Phone Number: 1-888-432-9257
Louisiana
Online Report Form: http://www.ag.state.la.us/Form/Consumer/Dispute
Phone Number: 225-326-6465
Maine
Online Report Form: https://www.maine.gov/ag/consumer/complaints/complaint_form.shtml
Phone Number: (207) 626-8849
E-mail: [email protected]
Maryland
Online Report Form: https://web.oag.state.md.us/editor/customer/onlineformhelpers/formviewer.aspx?filename=MUGeneral.htm
Phone Number: 410-528-8662
E-mail: [email protected]
Massachusetts
Online Report Form: https://www.mass.gov/how-to/file-a-consumer-complaint
Phone Number: (617) 727-8400
E-mail: [email protected]
Michigan
Online Report Form: https://secure.ag.state.mi.us/complaints/consumer.aspx
Phone Number: 517-335-7622
E-mail: [email protected]
Minnesota
Online Report Form: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Forms/ConsumerAssistanceRequest.asp
Phone Number: (651) 296-3353
Mississippi
Phone Number: 601-359-3680
Missouri
Online Report Form: http://ago.mo.gov/app/consumercomplaint
Phone Number: 800-392-8222
E-mail: [email protected]
Montana
Online Report Form: https://app.doj.mt.gov/apps/oscar/complaintstart.aspx
Phone Number: 406-444-4500
E-mail: [email protected]
Nebraska
Online Report Form: https://protectthegoodlife.nebraska.gov/file-consumer-complaint
Phone Number: (800) 727-6432
E-mail: [email protected]
Nevada
Online Report Form: http://ag.nv.gov/Complaints/File_Complaint/
Phone Number: (775) 684-1100
New Hampshire
Online Report Form (requires registration): https://www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints/index.htm
Phone Number: 603-271-3641
E-mail: [email protected]
New Jersey
Online Report Form: https://njconsumeraffairs.state.nj.us/file-a-complaint/
Phone Number: 973.504.6200
E-mail: [email protected]
New Mexico
Online Report Form: https://secure.nmag.gov/ecs
Phone Number: (505) 490-4060
New York
Online Report Form: https://ag.ny.gov/price-gouging-complaint-form
Phone Number: 1-800-771-7755
North Carolina
Online Report Form: https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/
Phone Number: (877)-5NO-SCAM
North Dakota
Online Report Form: https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/consumer-resources/consumer-complaints/general-complaint
Phone Number: 1-800-472-2600
E-mail: [email protected]
Ohio
Online Report Form: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Individuals-and-Families/Consumers/File-A-Complaint.aspx
Phone Number: 800-282-0515
Oklahoma
Phone Number: (405) 521-2029
E-mail: [email protected]
Oregon
Online Report Form: https://justice.oregon.gov/consumercomplaints/OnlineComplaints/OnlineComplaintForm/en
Phone Number: 503-378-8442
Pennsylvania
Online Report Form: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/
Phone Number: 717-787-3391
Rhode Island
Online Report Form: https://riag.wufoo.com/forms/q1851amb1bdd4d5/
Phone Number: (401) 274-4400
E-mail: [email protected]
South Carolina
Online Report Form (requires registration): https://applications.sc.gov/DCAComplaintSystem/Login/ConsumerLogin.aspx
Phone Number: 803-737-3953
E-mail: [email protected]
South Dakota
Online Report Form: https://atg.sd.gov/complaintform.aspx
Phone Number: (605) 773-4400
E-mail: [email protected]
Tennessee
Online Report Form (requires registration): https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/working-for-tennessee/consumer/file-a-complaint.html
Phone Number: (615) 741-4737
Texas
Online Report Form: http://txoag.force.com/CPDOnlineForm
Phone Number: (800) 621-0508
Utah
Online Report Form: https://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/contact/complaint-form/
Phone Number: 1-801-366-0260
E-mail: [email protected]
Vermont
Online Report Form: https://agocapcomplaint.atg.state.vt.us/forms/consumer-assistance-program-complaint-form/
Phone Number: (802) 656-3183
E-mail: [email protected]
Virginia
Report Form: https://www.oag.state.va.us/consumer-protection/files/PriceGougingComplaintFormOAG.pdf
Phone Number: (804) 786-2042
Washington
Online Report Form: https://fortress.wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/ComplaintForm.aspx
Phone Number: 1-206-464-6684
West Virginia
Online Report Form: https://ago.wv.gov/Pages/consumercomplaint.aspx
Phone Number: 304-558-8986
E-mail: [email protected]
Wisconsin
Online Report Form: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/FileConsumerComplaint.aspx
Phone Number: (800) 422-7128
E-mail: [email protected]
Wyoming
Online Report Form: http://ag.wyo.gov/cpu/consumer-complaints
Phone Number: 307-777-6397
E-mail: [email protected]
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