Bay Area Consumer Protection Attorneys
Consumer rights laws in California protect consumers of goods or services from deceptive, fraudulent, and unfair business practices.
Sellers of goods or services in California may be in strict violation of the law for misrepresenting the type or quality of a product, or advertising products with the intent not to sell them as advertised. Businesses using bait and switch type advertising tactics are very likely breaking the law. Solicitors fraudulently or improperly identifying themselves or the quality or kind of goods they are selling should be held liable.
Under the California Consumers Legal Remedies Act ("CLRA"), consumers victimized and suffering damages from sellers in violation of the Act may sue to recover actual damages, treble (triple) damages, restitution of property, punitive damages, attorney's fees, and for a court order to enjoin and prevent the fraudulent methods or practices from occurring in the future. Senior citizens or disabled persons tricked by unscrupulous sellers may be entitled to further statutory damages. The California Unfair Practices Act, Tanner Consumer Protection Act, and Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act provide further protection to consumers and grounds for civil damages.
Consumer Protection and Lemon Law:
The California legislature has enacted statutes protecting consumers from deceptive and unfair business practices and methods of competition.
For example, it is unlawful for sellers of goods or services in California to do intentionally any of the following:
- Represent that goods are new or original when they are not;
- Represent that goods or services have certain endorsements or approvals when they do not;
- Disparage the goods, services, or business of another by false or misleading representations of fact;
- Make false or misleading statements about reasons for, existence of, or amounts of price reductions;
- Represent that a part, replacement, or repair service is needed when it is not.
Call an attorney immediately if ...
If you have been the victim of a deceptive and unfair business practice, contact a San Francisco consumer fraud attorney at BV Law immediately to discuss your consumer rights. Before filing suit, you may be required to notify the seller of the alleged defective product, giving the seller the opportunity to correct, repair, replace, or otherwise rectify the defective product. Call an experienced Bay Area lemon law attorney at Bracamontes & Vlasak for advice.
Consumer Warranty Protection, Lemon Law, Implied Warranty of Merchantability:
Under California law, every sale of a consumer good is accompanied by the manufacturer's and the retail seller's implied warranty that the good is merchantable. That means that the good must reasonably conform to the ordinary buyer's expectations, irrespective of whether the seller has explicitly promised anything or provided an express warranty. If you have been sold a product that is inferior to industry standards, or simply cannot do what it was designed for, contact a BV Law consumer rights attorney to discuss your options. Inferior goods for sale must be explicitly marked "as is" or "with all faults."
Identify Theft:
Consumer protection lawyers can often help victims of identity theft recover their losses. Identify theft is always a trying and difficult experience. Victims of identity theft should know that they may have claims against not only the perpetrators of identity theft, but also against purported creditors attempting to collect debts that were fraudulently incurred. A consumer rights attorney can help victims of identity theft handle obstreperous creditors and expunge fraudulent debts.
See our Testimonials page for examples of the excellent results we have achieved in this practice area.
