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.

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:

  1. The name of state and the address.

  2. The price and the type of gasoline.

  3. The date and time.

  4. 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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