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Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson has urged state residents to report any instances of price gouging in the wake of the tornadoes that tore through four Central Florida counties this week.

State law prohibits charging exorbitant or excessive prices for essential items, including shelter, gasoline, food, water, ice, generators or lumber following the declaration of an emergency, unless the increases in the amount charged are attributable to additional costs incurred by retailers.

Governor Charlie Crist has declared an emergency in Volusia, Sumter, Lake and Seminole counties, triggering the activation of the price-gouging statute. The price gouging law’s activation is limited to activities only in those counties.

Individuals or businesses found to have engaged in price gouging face fines of up to $1,000 per violation, or up to a maximum fine of $25,000 a day.

“We’re asking consumers to come forward and let us know if any retailers have exploited our citizens or are profiteering from the tornadoes,” Bronson said. “This activity is not only reprehensible, it’s illegal.”

Bronson is asking residents who have any evidence that price gouging has occurred or is occurring to report it at once to his department’s toll-free hotline - 1 800 HELP FLA (435-7352). In addition to the price gouging oversight, Bronson’s Division of Forestry is providing assistance in clearing roads and removing debris.

Posted under Customer Service, Safety

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced this month that he is proposing legislation that would outlaw commercial telemarketers from using new technology that disguises their identity.

The practice - known as “ID spoofing” - enables telephone callers to insert any name or phone number that he or she wishes to show up on the caller ID feature of the person being called. In some cases, it even allows the caller to change his or her voice - for example, from male to female, or adult to child.

“We can see no legitimate reason for a telephone sales person to use such technology,” Bronson said. “In fact, the only conclusion we can draw from a telemarketer who would use that kind of device is that the sales person wants to deceive consumers for the purpose of ripping them off.”
Numerous websites advertising this service can be found on the internet, including www.spooftel.com, www.spoofcard.com, www.tricktel.com and www.spooftech.com.
A bill being sponsored by Sen. Evelyn Lynn, of Ormond Beach, would prohibit commercial telemarketers from employing the practice and would provide penalties of up to $10,000 for violations of the law.

“We must protect people from the dangers of those who use technology to misrepresent themselves,” Lynn said. “Many times there are predators who endanger our lives and often times our financial security.”

Bronson emphasized that consumers should be extremely vigilant when dealing with unsolicited sales calls and urges Floridians to carefully safeguard personal or financial information, including one’s social security number, date of birth, credit card number and bank account number, unless you’re certain about with whom you’re dealing. With that information, con artists can run up charges on unsuspecting people’s credit cards, clean out their bank accounts and even assume a consumer’s identity for the purpose of opening up additional lines of credit.

“ID spoofing is yet another example of why consumers need to exercise caution with their personal or financial information, Bronson said. “You simply cannot be too careful.”

Posted under Customer Service