Where to Report Price Gouging of Water in Southern Illinois: All Your Questions Answered

Price gouging is an illegal practice in which businesses raise prices for critical supplies during an emergency. If you notice a sharp jump in water prices, you may be a victim of this practice.

Where can you report price gouging of water in southern Illinois?

You can follow the steps necessary to report price gouging, but it can be tedious. Keep in mind that DoNotPay offers a convenient, automated means of handling this problem on your behalf.

What Exactly Is Price Gouging?

This illegal practice occurs when the price of goods, services, or commodities is raised to an unreasonable or unfair level. Price gouging tends to happen during sudden demand increases and shortages of goods, especially during a natural disaster or other crisis.

Signs and Examples of Price Gouging

A few telltale signs that may indicate a business is involved in price gouging include:

Here are some examples of price gouging to better illustrate:

• Due to a hurricane, local water has become undrinkable, and a shopkeeper hikes his bottled water price to take unfair advantage of a difficult situation.
• After a wildfire has swept through a forest town, a local roof repair company raises its prices significantly.
• During a winter filled with blizzards, you notice one brand of gloves costs three times more than other brands yet appears to be of similar quality.

How Do I Report Price Gouging of Water in Southern Illinois?

If you suspect price gouging of water, follow these steps to correct the problem.

Gather Product Information

Jot down or capture the following details:

1. Name/address of the store, vendor, utility, or entity providing the water
2. Water product details if applicable (brand, type, size, etc.) and price
3. Date, time, and location related to the moment you noticed the gouging
4. Pictures, if applicable

Report the Price Gouging Activity

You must report the illegal gouging to the Illinois Attorney General. Use any of these contact options:

• Online: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/contacts.html
• Chicago Main Office: 100 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601 1-800-386-5438
• Springfield Main Office: 500 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701 1-800-243-0618
• Carbondale Main Office: 601 South University Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901 1-800-243-0607
• Linea Gratuita en Español: 1-866-310-8398
• Email: attorney_general@ilag.gov

What Else Can I Do?

Since State Attorneys General generally enforce price gouging laws , you must contact the Illinois Attorney General for that reason.

Additionally, several states provide a private right of action for victims of price gouging. Contact the Illinois Attorney General to determine whether or not you may proceed as a private litigant to seek an injunction, civil penalties, or damages under state price-gouging statutes and consumer protection laws.

Violators of price gouging statutes in states with a private right of action could find themselves facing class actions and hefty damages claims. Remedies available to private litigants range from damages, restitution, injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees.

Does Illinois Have Protections in Place?

Illinois Attorney General Raoul has "encouraged the online marketplace platforms to adopt the following practices" to protect consumers from price gouging:

• Prevent exorbitant price increases from occurring in the first place by setting and enforcing price increase limits based on a 90-day average of the item's price before an emergency begins
• Trigger price-gouging protections before an emergency declaration, such as when systems detect pending weather events or future possible health risks
• Create a complaint portal for consumers to report potential price gouging

Many consumers have filed class actions against companies for alleged price gouging. More are expected to be filed soon - even potentially where there have been only modest pricing increases and even after the emergency declarations have been lifted. Companies subject to price gouging statutes can comply with gouging laws to avoid such claims and ensure they can address such claims if they arise.

How to Protect Against Price Gouging Using DoNotPay

If you want to protect against price gouging but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 5 easy steps:

1. Open the Price Gouging Protection product on DoNotPay.

   

2. Generate a fake credit card to use with the merchant.

   

3. Complete the transaction with the fake credit card.

   

4. Save a photo of the transaction as evidence and start the demand letter process.

   

5. Answer a few questions through our chatbot about the merchant and transaction.

   

Is There an Easier Way to Do This?

Reporting water price gouging in Southern Illinois can be tediously challenging and perhaps intimidating to do on your own. A great alternative is to take advantage of DoNotPay. Our product can simplify the entire process, and we think you will find it to be:

• Fast - You will not need to spend hours attempting to solve this problem
• Easy - No struggling to fill out long, tedious forms or keep track of multiple steps
• Successful - You may rest assured we will make the best case for you

Please refer to these related articles regarding similar topics on which we can offer help:

• How to report price gouging on Amazon
• Gas station price gouging
• Drug price gouging
• eBay price gouging

DoNotPay offers a handy, automated way to help simplify other problems in your life. We offer many additional services, including but not limited to:

• How to cancel services and subscriptions
• Chargebacks and refunds
• Help with bills
• Small claims court

We offer a no-hassle means of handling your price gouging complaint in an automated manner. Allow us to simplify your life and save you time.