As Hurricane Emily approached the U.S.-Mexico border, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued an alert to residents and business owners in South Texas to be on the lookout for unscrupulous repair contractors and retailers who may use the effects of the storm to exploit those desperate for help.
Home repair scams commonly proliferate in areas where there is widespread property damage, and dishonest merchants might use the occasion to mark up prices exorbitantly for food, gasoline, lodging, purified water and medicines, the AG warned.
Price-gouging for necessities in an area that has been declared a disaster is illegal, and the Attorney General’s office warned it is ready to use heightened penalties in the law as an aggressive enforcement tool to handle such incidents.
“My office will strenuously enforce this law in the wake of a disaster and make violators pay dearly for making a profit from the misfortune of consumers,” said Attorney General Abbott. “I urge any consumer who experiences price-gouging during a declared disaster to contact my Consumer Protection Division immediately.”
The Attorney General’s toll-free number for complaints of this kind is (800) 252-8011.
Hurricane Emily, packing 125-mph winds, made landfall in northeastern Mexico early Wednesday; South Texas was spared the brunt of the storm, but still received tropical storm winds and massive waves from storm surges. Isolated tornadoes are expected to develop as a result of the hurricane.
The Attorney General offered these recommendations to avoid rip-offs:
–Deal only with licensed, bonded contractors
–Be wary of “specials” and extra-cheap work
–Contact your insurance adjuster to get an estimate of any damage and cost of repair
–Do not be rushed into signing contracts and never pay up-front for promised work
–Avoid door-to-door solicitors for damage repair work
–Get the terms of warranty work in writing
–Contact friends or relatives for references.
Topics Texas Homeowners
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