As a business owner, there are many laws you must follow. This is especially true when it comes to advertising your products honestly. Federal and state laws exist to protect consumers from deceptive trade practices. If you are not aware of how those laws apply to you, you could be unintentionally leaving yourself open to a liability lawsuit.
We understand Oregon’s laws regarding deceptive trade practices and have helped many of our clients with their cases.
What are deceptive trade practices?
Consumers have the right to make purchases based on honest information. Deceptive trade practices include any tactics a business might engage in that distorts, hides or falsifies pertinent information. According to FindLaw, the following actions qualify as illegally deceptive practices.
- Sellings products that are not authentic, such as counterfeits
- Claiming your goods or services have sponsors, ingredients, benefits or approvals that they do not have
- Advertising items in a way that is misleading or outright false
- Selling items as new when they not new
- Failing to properly disclose the condition of your merchandise
- Intentionally using confusing practices to mislead customers
Why are these laws important?
It is important to research these laws as a business owner to limit your liability for claims. Not only can consumers bring claims against you, but the state can also hold you responsible for deceptive trade practices. It may be easier than you realize to fall into these practices without meaning to. For example, if you run a retail store and find a supplier who offers you a great price on designer goods, you may unknowingly accept counterfeit goods to sell at your shop. If someone notices and files a claim, you may find yourself in hot water. More information is available on our webpage.
