Consumer Fraud
What is Consumer Fraud?
Consumer fraud is any unconscionable business practice that is prohibited by the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act. Some examples include false advertising, grossly excessive prices, and bait and switch, where a company might offer a product at one price, and what’s available is a different product or a more expensive version of the same product. Consumer fraud is any type of misrepresentation of a product or service. It’s dishonesty and violations of Consumer protection regulations.
How Can An Attorney Help Me If I’ve Been Scammed?
If you suspect a company has scammed you, reach out to an experienced litigator who’s familiar with the Consumer Fraud Act. They will evaluate your case and tell you if you have a legitimate claim. An attorney will tell you if it’s a valuable case and whether the Consumer Fraud Act has been violated, and they’ll assist you every step of the way with preparing your claim and evidence, filing and litigating the case, and ideally obtaining a favorable settlement even if it goes to trial.
What Law Protect Consumers from Fraud?
In the State of New Jersey, the primary law that protects consumers from fraud is the Consumer Fraud Act, but it doesn’t work alone. There are some other laws it incorporates by reference. So for example, the Consumer Fraud Act incorporates the Home Improvement Practice statute. That means that any violation of the Home Improvement Practice regulation is also a violation of the Consumer Fraud Act. If there is a violation of the Home Improvement Practice act, the plaintiff can bring a Consumer Fraud Act claim, which includes things like triple damages and recovery of attorney’s fees against the defendant. So instead of just recovering your actual damages, you get to recover your actual damages plus those additional amounts.
How Long Do You Have to File a Consumer Fraud Lawsuit?
The statute of limitations in the state of New Jersey to bring a Consumer Fraud Act claim is six years. But don’t wait that long, as there are other claims with shorter deadlines. For instance, the deadline for negligence is two years. If you wait three or four years, then try to sue for the Consumer Fraud Act violation, you won’t be able to bring a claim for negligence along with it because it’s too late. Furthermore, evidence may no longer be available, people’s memories of events may be hazy, and it’s harder to find the defendants’ assets and other evidence after a lot of time has passed. That’s why it’s important to file suit shortly after the event occurred.