7-Eleven Offers Free Water To Floridians After Accusations of Price Gouging

Doha Madani

After multiple reports of high pricing on water, some 7-Eleven locations in Florida will be offering free water to residents as they prepare for Hurricane Irma.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi told ABC Action News in Tampa that her office received 39 complaints about prices on cases of water at Tampa Bay 7-Elevens. The gas station chain tweeted Friday night that it was sending trucks to Orlando, Port Orange and Oldsmar locations to hand out free water starting at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Late Friday, 7-Eleven’s corporate office said it would be sending 1,600 cases of water to each of the three Florida locations, totaling 4,800 cases, to be distributed Saturday. The chain is also pledging a $150,000 donation to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Irma relief, the same amount 7-Eleven pledged for Hurricane Harvey relief.

Residents across Florida have been scrambling to pick up supplies for days in preparation for a possible Category 5 hit from Irma. With supplies dwindling over the past week, many have been left vulnerable to price gouging.

Price gouging is illegal. Bondi’s office set up a hotline after Florida declared a state of emergency to take complaints of jacked-up prices on essential goods.

As of Friday afternoon, Bondi reported nearly 7,000 calls were made at a rate of about 100 calls an hour.

Bondi said her office has taken the issue very seriously as Floridians scramble to prepare for the monster storm. She told Fox News on Thursday that she received 45 complaints about higher prices at Chevron stations in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties and publicly urged the oil company to call her office to explain itself. On Friday, Bondi was on CNBC saying that Chevron’s corporate offices were coordinating with her to offer assistance wherever possible.

Because most 7-Eleven locations were justifying the higher price per case by multiplying the cost per bottle, it did not qualify as illegal gouging.

“Shame on anyone, anyone who is going to do that with bottled water, whether they are going to get away with it or not,” Bondi told the Tampa TV station.

“We do not condone the behavior identified by the Attorney General of Florida,” 7-Eleven said in a statement late Friday, “and are aggressively taking steps to resolve this issue with the identified stores. Franchisees are independent contractors and as such price the product in their stores independently. We are disappointed that the small minority of Franchisees have chosen to do this and will harshly deal with any offenders. The majority of 7-Eleven Franchisees stand ready to serve their communities during this difficult time.”

Illegal or not, many consumers took to social media to try to shame the convenience stores into dropping their case prices.

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In this panoramic view, empty shelves show the depleted supply of bottled water at the Whole Foods store in Winter Park, Florida, as residents prepare. 
In this panoramic view, empty shelves show the depleted supply of bottled water at the Whole Foods store in Winter Park, Florida, as residents prepare. 
Matt Scally takes the letters of the marquee at the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Miami.
Matt Scally takes the letters of the marquee at the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Miami.
The Marathon gas store at NW 27th Place and NW 119th Street has their windows boarded in Miami. 
The Marathon gas store at NW 27th Place and NW 119th Street has their windows boarded in Miami. 
Gus Sousa and Winston Mora (L-R) put hurricane shutters on a business as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Miami.
Gus Sousa and Winston Mora (L-R) put hurricane shutters on a business as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Miami.
A couple watch from the shore at heavy surf as hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico.
A couple watch from the shore at heavy surf as hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico.
A man with an umbrella walks on a sidewalk as Hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in Luquillo, on September 6, 2017. Irma is expected to reach the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by nightfall on September 6. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)
A man with an umbrella walks on a sidewalk as Hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in Luquillo, on September 6, 2017. Irma is expected to reach the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico by nightfall on September 6. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO (Photo credit should read RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)
Residents work together to fill sandbags for each other at Bobby Hicks Park as residents prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. 
Residents work together to fill sandbags for each other at Bobby Hicks Park as residents prepare ahead of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017 in Tampa, Florida. 
Kelly Harrington places a sandbag in front of the door of her new home.
Kelly Harrington places a sandbag in front of the door of her new home.
Ed Fluker arranges the last remaining gas containers on otherwise empty shelves at The Home Depot in Lady Lake, Florida. 
Ed Fluker arranges the last remaining gas containers on otherwise empty shelves at The Home Depot in Lady Lake, Florida. 
A Home Depot store employee helps to load bags of sand for customers in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami.
A Home Depot store employee helps to load bags of sand for customers in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami.
Shoppers in a Home Depot store wait for plywood in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami.
Shoppers in a Home Depot store wait for plywood in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami.
Windows of a restaurant are boarded up as part of preparations for arrival of Hurricane Irma on in Simpson Bay, on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin.
Windows of a restaurant are boarded up as part of preparations for arrival of Hurricane Irma on in Simpson Bay, on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin.
A shopper in Sedano's Supermarket looks at nearly empty water shelves in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami.
A shopper in Sedano's Supermarket looks at nearly empty water shelves in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami.
Workers install storm shutters as hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in Fajardo.
Workers install storm shutters as hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in Fajardo.
A sand seawall is placed in front of the hotel KKO, as part of preparations for arrival of Hurricane Irma on the beach in Orient Bay, on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin. 
A sand seawall is placed in front of the hotel KKO, as part of preparations for arrival of Hurricane Irma on the beach in Orient Bay, on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin. 
A picutre taken on September 5, 2017 shows timber in a truck as people buy goods as part of preparations for arrival of Hurricane Irma in Marigot, on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin.
A picutre taken on September 5, 2017 shows timber in a truck as people buy goods as part of preparations for arrival of Hurricane Irma in Marigot, on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin.
People line up to get their propane tanks filled as they prepare for Hurricane Irma in Miami.
People line up to get their propane tanks filled as they prepare for Hurricane Irma in Miami.
Windows of a car dealer are protected by tape and sandbags, on September 4, 2017 in Marigot. 
Windows of a car dealer are protected by tape and sandbags, on September 4, 2017 in Marigot. 

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.