45+ Texas Gas Stations Accused Of Harvey Price Gouging Settle
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Four dozen Texas gasoline stations accused of Hurricane Harvey-related price gouging have agreed to issue refunds to purchasers.
Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday announced the nearly $167,000 settlement in an investigation in which some stations allegedly charged as much as $8.99 for a gallon of gasoline.
Harvey made landfall in South Texas last August 25. Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster as the storm approached, activating a provision of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act that makes price gouging illegal.
All 48 stations, most of them in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, that settled charged $3.99 or higher per gallon of gasoline or diesel.
Paxton says most violations were by stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Anyone who believes they were victims of gas station price gouging at any of the businesses settling with the state should fill out and submit a claim form. The forms will be accepted until September 10. The amount of refunds depend on how many gallons were purchased, the price paid for the gasoline and the amount available in the restitution fund.
Texans who believe they've fell victim to scamming or price gouging should call the attorney general's Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 621-0508, send an email to consumeremergency@oag.texas.gov, or file a complaint here.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
