PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — When a hurricane is coming, Floridians know it’s important to be prepared. But some businesses try to take advantage of that by raising prices on the things we need.
It’s why the state says it’s here to protect you from price gouging, but how far does that protection go?
WPTV reviewed thousands of complaints from the attorney general's office:
Fuel, food, water, and a safe place to evacuate are all part of a good hurricane readiness plan. So when a storm approaches and the governor declares a state of emergency, this message appears on the attorney general’s website:
“State emergency in effect. Report possible price gouging.”
A state law prohibits what it calls "unconscionable prices" of "essential commodities" during a declared state of emergency.
WPTV reviewed thousands of price gouging complaints from the AG’s office, stemming from the Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton emergencies in 2024.
Consumers reported businesses covering the entire state. More than 180 of those complaints stemmed from Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
“It's just unfortunate that some businesses are greedy, especially when they know they can get the money out of people,” said Christine Turley, of Juno Beach.
Turley filed a complaint against a Palm Beach Gardens hotel during the Hurricane Milton emergency.
She and her family had been staying at the hotel while they looked for a new home in the area.
“We found out about the hurricane and decided we were just going to stay,” Turley said. “But their prices had jumped... almost over 200% overnight, from about $85 up to $270, which made it unaffordable.”
Unable to pay the higher nightly rate, Turley said she and her family rented a U-Haul and spent the night in the truck, parked in a parking garage while the storm bared down, unleashing multiple tornadoes as it approached.
"We didn't really get a lot of sleep that night. It wasn't a lot to be had with all the noise and wondering with each gust, you know, what was going to come flying at you,” Turley said.
Turley said she hadn’t heard anything from the AG’s office since she filed her complaint.
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Michael Schiff, a consumer attorney based in Palm Beach County, said it’s not unusual for the AG’s office to not follow up on a complaint due to limited personnel.
“They just don't have the individuals to handle all of them. That's the excuse I've been given,” Schiff said.
Another consumer did get results after filing a complaint with the AG.
George Schrumpf, who lives in the Gulf Coast community of Englewood, evacuated to Palm Beach County during Hurricane Milton. He and his family ended up at a hotel in Juno Beach.
Schrumpf showed WPTV his initial booking confirmation, charging $529 for the night Milton was expected to make landfall, then $272 for the following night, which Schrumpf said he canceled.
Then the credit card bill came.
“They were trying to charge me for three nights, and at $1,200,” Schrumpf said.
Schrumpf said he was able to knock a some money off his bill after calling customer service, but he still filed a price gouging complaint with the AG.
After they got involved, Schrumpf said he ended up paying roughly $300.
“I think they did a great job. I really do,” Schrumpf said.
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Chase Sizemore, a spokesman for Attorney General Ashley Moody, said no one from the office was available for an interview, but responded to a list of questions via email.
“When our office receives a price gouging complaint, our dedicated team first determines whether the complaint falls within the scope of the price gouging statute,” Sizemore wrote. “If we have sufficient information to indicate potential, ongoing price gouging, we take steps immediately to stop the conduct and obtain refunds, where appropriate.”
According to Florida’s price gouging statute, a violation has occurred if "the amount charged grossly exceeds the average price at which the same or similar commodity was readily obtainable in the trade area during the 30 days immediately prior to a declaration of a state of emergency, unless the increase in the amount charged is attributable to additional costs incurred in connection with the rental or sale of the commodity.”
“It's not the greatest, it's not the worst. It's fairly broad. And there is a lot of debate about what ‘gross’ is," Schiff said.
In response to WPTV’s question about what constitutes a “gross disparity,” Sizemore replied, “The price charged must be unconscionable. There is no one measure of unconscionable pricing or what constitutes a gross disparity in pricing,” and referenced the 30-day standard in the statute.
According to Sizemore, the AG’s office currently has one open investigation related to Hurricane Helene price gouging, and 14 related to Hurricane Milton.
Typically, Sizemore said, businesses cooperate when contacted by the AG’s office in response to a complaint.
“We may resolve the investigation with an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance from a cooperating business, which typically requires that the business agree to change its conduct and resolve the consumer complaint and, in some instances, to pay a penalty,” Sizemore explained. “In other instances, for example, if a business is not cooperative or responsive, or is a repeat offender, we may file litigation.”
