ATLANTA -- Fifteen Georgia gas stations and convenience stores have been fined up to $10,000 for alleged price gouging after Hurricane Katrina disrupted supplies, said the Associated Press.
Governor Sonny Perdue said Tuesday that the fines stem from settlements reached by the Office of Consumer Affairs, which began investigations after Perdue issued an August 31 executive order to control rising fuel costs.
The governor said the settlements include both consumer restitution and civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, depending [image-nocss] on the severity of the violation.
Most of the stations are in Metro Atlanta. The businesses and fines were:
Taj International Inc., dba Shell Food Mart, Cumming, $2,000. Chowdhury Inc., dba Chevron on Clairmont Road, Chamblee, $2,000. Rhea Investments LLC, dba Shell Food Mart, Atlanta, $3,000. Peach State Capital Inc., dba Shell Food Mart, Roswell, $4,330.50. ARZ Inc., dba Chevron Food Mart, College Park, $3,000 (civil penalty only, no customer restitution). Coner Shop Inc. dba Corner Shop Atlanta, Atlanta, $1,000. Saniha & Sameer Inc., dba Shell Food Mart, Douglasville, $4,000. City Shop Inc., dba Chevron Short Stop, Conyers (no civil penalty, only customer restitution). Defoors E-Z Stop Food Inc., dba E-Z Food Stop, Atlanta, $7,000. Tristar Petro Inc., dba Adel Truck Plaza, Adel, $10,000. Yong Kwon, dba Sam's One Stop CITGO, Dallas, $2,000. Ali's Investment Inc., dba Harry's BP Station, Monroe, $2,500. First Class Mart LLC, dba Thornton Road Food Mart, Lithia Springs, $1,000. Trident Investments of Conyers LLC, dba Mobil Food Mart, Conyers (no civil penalty, only customer restitution). Iquar Enterprises, dba Chevron Food Shop, Norcross, $2,000.Up to 100 gas stations in Georgia could face price gouging fines for overcharging customers after panic buying August 31 prompted Perdue to declare a state of emergency, the Office of Consumer Affairs told the Athens Banner-Herald earlier this week. We have a hundred right now where we believe there is evidence of price gouging, spokesperson Bill Cloud told the paper. He said in most of the 15 settled cases, the retailers signed letters of understanding, which include an assurance they will stop price gouging and pay a fine assessed by the state agency.
He added, A couple don't have fines attached because we accepted their explanation of why it happened. The businesses that did not have to pay a fine did agree to post signs stating that customers who have their receipts and believe they were charged unreasonably inflated prices might be reimbursed.
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