ATLANTA – Georgia customers are being warned to be cautious of scams because of the nationwide child method scarcity.
Launch:
Lawyer Common Chris Carr is warning Georgia customers to watch out for worth gouging and different scams in response to the nationwide child method scarcity.
“With skyrocketing inflation, record-high gasoline costs, and now an unprecedented scarcity of child method made worse by the more and more dire scenario at our southern border, mother and father throughout Georgia are understandably annoyed and in want of assist,” stated Carr.
“Nothing is extra essential than a baby’s well being and well-being, and anybody artificially growing the price of method on the backs of hardworking Georgians shall be held accountable for his or her unlawful actions. Our workplace will proceed to assist and defend Georgia’s households who’re annoyed by empty retailer cabinets and outrageous costs when they’re merely making an attempt to feed their kids.”
Some sellers could attempt to benefit from this nationwide scarcity by charging exorbitant costs for method. Scammers could even create faux web sites or ads providing child method in an try and steal folks’s cash.
The State of Emergency for Provide Chain Disruptions protects Georgia customers from worth gouging. This emergency declaration is at the moment in impact all through the State of Georgia till 11:59 PM on June 14, 2022.
Whereas the State of Emergency stays in impact, companies could not cost extra for services and products recognized by the Governor than they charged earlier than the declaration of the State of Emergency, except the elevated costs precisely replicate a rise in the price of new inventory or the associated fee to move it, plus the retailer’s common markup share utilized in the course of the 10 days instantly previous to the declaration of the State of Emergency. Beneath the value gouging statutes, the Lawyer Common’s Shopper Safety Division (CPD) receives and evaluates experiences associated to an increase in the price of items and providers after the declaration is made. Violators of Georgia’s worth gouging statutes could also be fined as much as $5,000 per violation.
Customers can report scams and suspected worth gouging to CPD by calling 404-651-8600 or 1-800-869-1123. Georgians may also file a grievance on-line by visiting CPD’s web site.
Companies in search of further details about compliance with the value gouging statutes can go to the CPD web site at client.ga.gov, go to the “Enterprise Providers” tab after which click on on “Emergency Worth Controls.”
Customers ought to take precautions when making on-line transactions with an unfamiliar enterprise. To keep away from scams, it’s best to do your on-line purchasing by respected, well-known web sites. Be leery of adverts on social media. You may try an organization’s status by the Higher Enterprise Bureau (BBB) at www.bbb.org. For extra details about potential scams associated to the infant method scarcity, go to the BBB web site right here.
If you’re struggling to seek out child method in the course of the scarcity, the Georgia Division of Public Well being recommends you go to healthychildren.org. If in case you have any considerations about your child’s vitamin, please discuss to your pediatrician.
