(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—As shoppers prepare to take advantage of deals around Thanksgiving and into the holiday shopping season, Attorney General Mike DeWine is encouraging Ohioans to remember their consumer rights.
“Whether you’ll be shopping in stores or online this year, it’s important to remember your rights as a consumer,” Attorney General DeWine said. “Take a moment to think about your purchases and make sure you understand all the terms and conditions of an offer.”
Last year, holiday shoppers spent an average of $407 from Thanksgiving Day to Sunday, according to the National Retail Federation, which expects retail sales to increase this holiday season.
While most transactions will go smoothly, some will result in consumer complaints.
Since January 2014, the Ohio Attorney General's Office has received more than 25,000 consumer complaints involving a variety of consumer protection issues. Top problem areas (with more than 1,500 complaints each) include billing issues, misrepresentation, failure to deliver, poor service/shoddy work, attempt to collect a debt, and refund/return issues.
To help avoid problems, consumers should remember their rights, such as:
- Exclusions and limitations must be clearly disclosed: An offer’s exclusions and limitations must be listed in advertisements, and terms and conditions must be clearly disclosed in close proximity to the offer. Offers found online must follow these same rules.
- Bait-and-switch tactics are prohibited: Sellers may not misrepresent important characteristics of a product or use advertised products as bait to encourage consumers to buy more expensive items.
- Free must really mean free: Sellers may not advertise goods or services as “free” when the cost of the “free” offer is passed on to the consumer through higher base prices.
- Return policies must be disclosed before the sale: Sellers are required to clearly disclose return policies prior to a sale. It is not acceptable to notify consumers of the policy after the transaction is complete.
- No failure to deliver: Sellers may not advertise prompt delivery of goods or services unless they take reasonable steps to ensure prompt delivery. Generally it is deceptive for a seller to accept money and allow eight weeks to pass without delivering the product or providing a refund.
Consumers who suspect an unfair business practice or those who have a consumer problem they cannot resolve on their own should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or 800-282-0515.
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Media Contacts
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