Consumer Protection Attorneys Bay Area

Consumer Protection Attorneys Bay Area

There are laws in place that are intended to help protect consumers in the State of California, and better understanding them can help you protect yourself as a consumer. If you’ve made a purchase that leads to harm or financial loss, an experienced consumer protection attorney in the Bay Area can help.  

Consumer Protections

Consumer protections come in many different forms that include the following:

• Protections related to price gouging
• Protections related to unfair or deceptive business practices generally
• Protections related to defective products, such as the lemon laws that protect car buyers
• Protections related to delayed shipping 

Price Gouging

California makes it illegal to take unfair advantage of consumers by significantly increasing the price of necessary consumer goods or services during emergencies or disasters. An increase of more than 10 percent in such circumstances is considered price gouging.

Unfair Business Practices

California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) makes it illegal for businesses to employ deceptive advertising that doesn’t align with reasonable consumer expectations or to otherwise engage in unfair business practices. Common examples include:

• Passing off goods or services as another company’s
• Signifying a false standard, quality, or design in relation to the consumer good in question
• Representing goods that are used, reclaimed, secondhand, altered, or reconditioned as new
• Signifying false sponsorship approval
• Intentionally advertising goods or services that differ from those actually offered

Defective Products

In California, lemon laws extend to a wide range of defective consumer goods that goes well beyond vehicles. In terms of vehicles, however, the standard of being a lemon is met if one of the following applies within the first 18,000 miles or within the first 18 months of ownership:

• The manufacturer or dealer made at least two attempts to repair a warranty concern that could lead to a serious accident. 
• The manufacturer or dealer made at least four attempts to correct the same warranty issue. 
• The vehicle in question was out of service for more than 30 days total for any significant warranty repairs. 

Delayed Shipping

When a company fails to make a statement regarding timely shipping, it must ship within 30 days of receiving the order. If this isn’t possible, the company must notify the customer of a new shipping date estimate – affording them the opportunity to cancel the order for a full refund if desired. 

Reach Out for an Experienced Consumer Protection Attorney Today

While you may feel like you have no recourse if you make a purchase that ends up being a waste of money – or worse – there are legal protections in place that can help. The trusted consumer protection attorneys at Olivier & Schreiber P.C. in the Bay Area have a wealth of experience guiding complex claims like yours toward fair compensation that honors our clients’ rights as consumers. To learn more about what we can do to help you, please do not put off reaching out and contacting us today.