A Columbia woman said an Orangeburg motel increased its rates to get more money from those left without electricity in the days after a thick layer of ice coated trees, resulting in downed power lines.
"I paid for my son and my mother for their lodging because they were without power," said the woman, who did not give her name. "But when they got there, the rate had nearly doubled."
Another woman said when she tried to have her propane tanks refilled in Orangeburg County last week, the price skyrocketed.
The practice of raising prices during an emergency is illegal, said Trey Walker, spokesman for the state attorney general's office.
If a state of emergency has been declared by the governor - as it was Tuesday - it is against the law to raise the price of consumables, such as hotel lodging, food, gas, water and ice.
"Price gouging happens when the governor declares a state of emergency," Walker said. "Basically, it's illegal for anyone to charge for goods at a rate higher than fair market value."
Hotels routinely raise rates for scheduled events, but when the emergency declaration is made, prices are to remain fixed at the rate charged within the 30 days prior to the emergency, according to state law.
Prosecution is sometimes difficult because incidents are not reported.
During situations such as hurricanes or ice storms, law enforcement officials are flooded with calls for transportation of medical and emergency personnel, security checks on the elderly and traffic control. Reports of price gouging can get lost in the shuffle.
Walker said people who think they've been had should report the incident, though. Victims have three years to file a report.
"Law enforcement is responsive to the public," Walker said. "If they have a large number of reports of this type of incident, they're going to respond to it."
Price gouging is a misdemeanor. A first offense carries a sentence of 30 days in jail or up to $1,000 in fines.
"Sunshine is the best disinfectant," Walker said. "Call the non-emergency number of the local law enforcement agency and report it."
Orangeburg County Sheriff's Maj. Barbara Walters thinks there have been such incidents during the past week, but they haven't been called in.
"File a report, then we would see if it fell within the time frame (of a declaration of a state of emergency)," Walters said. "We will certainly take the report and take it to the next level."
Information from: The Times & Democrat