The Consumer Protection Division of the Texas Attorney General’s office has received 756 complaints related to the current disaster declaration related to COVID-19 as of Thursday morning.
Of those, most of the complaints are coming from Dallas and Houston.
The most common items complained about include toilet paper, bottled water and hand sanitizer. The office is currently investigating complaints.
The office tells NBC 5 price-gougers may be required to reimburse consumers and could be held liable for civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation with an additional penalty of up to $250,000 if the affected consumers are elderly.
Coronavirus Pandemic
Full coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and how it impacts you
If you’ve encountered price gouging or deceptive trade practices, the Consumer Protection Division encourages consumers to file a complaint online or over the phone. Complaints can be filed online at http://txoag.force.com/CPDOnlineForm, through email at consumeremergency@oag.texas.gov, or by phone at 1-800-621-0508.
You can learn more about the consumer complaint process here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint.
