Special to IFN

RALEIGH – N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson has announced that the state price gouging law is in effect after Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency ahead of this weekend’s winter storm.

North Carolinians can report price gouging to the Department of Justice at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or www.ncdoj.gov/pricegouging.

“When severe weather impacts our state, North Carolinians should be able to focus on their safety, not excessive price hikes,” Jackson said. “Report suspected price gouging to our office, and we will take action against businesses that take advantage of this winter storm to rip people off.”

North Carolina has a strong price gouging law, which prohibits charging excessive prices during a crisis, and takes effect when the governor declares a state of emergency. Once the emergency declaration is in place, businesses and individuals may not charge prices for goods or services they sell or rent that are unreasonably excessive under the circumstances while the state of emergency is in effect.

In some cases, businesses may adjust prices to account for higher costs or the impact of critical events on their operations. However, they may not raise prices unreasonably to boost profits and should clearly disclose any reasonable increases to customers before a purchase is made.