Its payback time for some 127 Texas gasoline retailers who thought it would be a fantastic idea to jack up prices during and immediately after Hurricane Harvey, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Paul Singer of the Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General's office, says they have received letters warning them that they face potential charges of violating tough Texas laws prohibiting profiteering at a time of declared emergency.
"We've sent this notice letter out to stations that are alleged to have charged $3.99 or higher," Singer told News Radio 1200 WOAI. "That amount is so far in excess of where prices were before the storm, that we feel that clearly meets the definition of 'excessive' or 'exhorbitent.'"
Some gas stations are known to have been selling regular for as much as $8.99 a gallon during Hurricane Harvey and the bizarre 'gasoline panic' that followed it.
Singer says the AG's office has received more than 5500 complaints of price gouging, and all of them are being investigated. He said more notices are about to go in the mail.
"The letter itself invites the businesses to engage in a dialogue with us," he said. "Come forward and tell us exactly what happened, what were the circumstances that led to the charging of those amounts, if there was an error, notify us now."
He says the gasoline retailers could face fines of up to $20,000 per incident.Following Hurricane Ike in 2008, the Texas Legislature passed some of the toughest laws in the country, criminalizing any type of over charging during a declared disaster like Hurricane Harvey.