With Kentucky under a state of emergency due to an impending winter storm, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced the activation of the Attorney General’s Price Gouging Hotline.
Attorney General Coleman encourages any Kentuckian who suspects price gouging to report it online or call 1-888-432-9257. The Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection reviews the complaints to determine if price gouging has occurred. The Office asks consumers to include as much detail as possible about the suspected price gouging and to confirm the complaint contains accurate contact information for the consumer.
Kentucky law defines price gouging as a grossly excessive charge—more than 10% above the price prior to the emergency declaration—that is not related to higher costs to the seller. Goods and services covered by Kentucky’s price gouging law include food, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil, shelter, transportation, emergency cleanup, and repair or reconstruction services like tree removal.
“During rough weather like this, Kentuckians should only be concerned about their families’ safety, not whether they are being exploited,” said Attorney General Coleman. “Our Office is determined to protect Kentuckians and their access to essential goods and services.”
In the nearly two decades since Kentucky’s General Assembly passed legislation prohibiting price gouging, the Office of Consumer Protection has taken on numerous matters to hold companies accountable for attempting to take advantage of Kentuckians at some of their most vulnerable times.