As the State of Florida is currently under a declaration of emergency because of COVID-19, that means the state's price gouging rule is also in effect

 As the State of Florida is currently under a declaration of emergency because of COVID-19, that means the state's price gouging rule is also in effect.

Florida's price-gouging law prohibits extreme increases in the price of necessary items to combat the virus.

That includes Protective masks.

It also includes sanitizing and disinfecting supplies, such as hand sanitizer, gel, wipes, and cleaning supplies for surface cleaning, as well as all commercial cleaning supplies.

Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to civil penalties of $1,000 per violation and up to a total of $25,000 for multiple violations committed in a single 24-hour period.

And price gouging is happening.

Florida's attorney general has received nearly 3400 consumer complaints about the price of essential commodities and has secured more than $240,000 in refunds related to travel, leisure and product purchases.

The office is also working with online platforms to deactivate posts offering items for outrageous prices.

You can report price gouging by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM, by visiting http://www.MyFloridaLegal.com or by downloading the NO SCAM smartphone app.

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