Michigan AG receives price-gouging complaints after flooding damages homes

Michigan receives price-gouging complaints after floods damage homes

Some people are trying to take advantage of people whose homes were damaged by floods by raising the price of items such as hot water tanks.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said her office has been fielding price-gouging complaints after severe flooding devastated parts of Metro Detroit in June.

Nessel said she believes there will be even more complaints after the area was hit with more flooding Friday.

The bulk of the initial complaints were related to the immediate effects of the flooding, including issues related to auto towing and storage, as well as property damage, Nessel said.

"I’m encouraged by our relatively low complaint volume thus far and credit it to the fact that consumers are educating themselves to avoid being taken advantage of and are vigilantly reporting prices and practices that concern them," Nessel said. "Our Consumer Protection team is taking a proactive approach to such complaints that sends a message to bad actors who thought they might take advantage of this situation. We will continue to advocate for consumers, and I encourage anyone who believes they’ve been wronged to call my office. We’re here to protect you and fight for you."

Her office released tips for people who were impacted by flooding:

To file a complaint with the Attorney General, or get additional information, contact:

Consumer Protection Division