On Tuesday, March 17, 2020 Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order declaring an “abnormal disruption of the market,” triggering additional protections for consumers against price gouging for “essential consumer goods or services.” See ORS 401.960 – 401.970.
You can read the executive order at: https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Documents/executive_orders/eo_20-06.pdf
The statute, generally, prohibits charging unconscionably excessive prices and makes charging such excessive prices subject to regulation as an unlawful trade practice. With some exceptions, prices are presumed to be unconscionably excessive if they exceed 15% above of the price prior to the abnormal disruption of the market.
Additional information, including a link to submit written complaints, can be found on the DOJ website at: https://www.doj.state.or.us/consumer-protection/sales-scams-fraud/price-gouging/
The Oregon Department of Justice, at the request of AG Ellen Rosenblum, has also set up a dedicated hotline specifically to handle complaints related to price gouging. The hotline number is: 503-378-8442.
Despite the existence of a dedicated hotline, the Department of Justice encourages people to submit written complaints whenever possible, as written complaints often help streamline the review process allowing DOJ to prioritize the most pressing complaints.
While complaints relating to price gouging are important, the Department of Justice is treating complaints of all kinds related to COVID-19 as a priority in order to stay on top of rapidly developing trends. See, for example, action taken against a Portland CBD store with misleading advertising claiming their products could boost immunity against COVID-19: