Consumer Fraud
Consumer fraud cases, commonly referred to as "false advertising" cases, arise when a seller of goods or services falsely advertises a product, misrepresents the quality of a product, or omits or fails to disclose an important fact when selling the product.
These cases might arise when a car dealer conceals an interest charge, when a computer manufacturer mislabels the speed of its processor, when a gym charges a customer’s bank account without the customer's authorization, or in thousands of other scenarios.
At our law firm we believe consumer fraud, false advertising, and the above-referenced activity are entirely unacceptable. When we sue a company under a consumer fraud statute, we not only seek to recover enough money to compensate the victims, but also seek to recover such an astronomically large award of money that the same company will never again consider lying to, or cheating, its customers.
Class Action or Individual Lawsuit
If you purchased a good or service as a result of false advertising or a misrepresentation, or purchased a product or service without knowing all of the facts about the quality of that product, it is likely that you would be able to act as a class representative in a class action lawsuit. If the amount of money at stake in your situation is only a few cents or a few dollars, you may be able to recover a large sum of money on behalf of others who experienced the same problem. And even if the false advertising or misrepresentation was an isolated incident, unique to you, we may nevertheless be able to recover a large sum of money on your individual behalf.
The Law
Nearly every consumer fraud claim filed in Missouri is brought under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA). This allows individuals and class members to potentially recover compensatory damages, punitive damages, interest, costs and attorney fees. In many instances, companies that engage in fraudulent sales techniques carry insurance policies that will cover your loss.
Recent Examples of Consumer Fraud Class Actions
- A class action filed in Los Angeles alleges that Biotech Corp. and The Vitamin Shoppe advertise a supplement called "Cognovin" by falsely claiming that it boosts memory and counteracts cognitive decline.
- A Brooklyn class action alleges that Bekins Van Lines defrauded customers by underestimating moving estimates with the intention of later charging more than the estimates.
- A New Jersey class action alleges that payday lender Integrity Advance dba Iadvancecash charges usurious (excessively high) interest rates of more than 600 percent.
- Two New Jersey class actions allege that Ronco and Urban Nutrition inflated the shipping costs of their knife sets and face cream.
- A Los Angeles class action alleges that videogame company GameSaver and Oberon enrolled people in a monthly subscription plan without their explicit authorization.
- A New Jersey class acton claims 2 Elevens makes bogus claims that its Belly Burner Belt increases a person's core temperature resulting in increased calorie burning.
- A New Jersey class action alleges that Window Wizards and OKNA Windows Corp sell windows with less insulation than advertised.
More Information
If you have a question relating to a possible or pending consumer fraud or false advertising case, please send us a direct message, or call our office at (314) 725-4400. For more information on some of our recent cases, please visit our news page. We also have an FAQ relating to personal injury, class action, and other issues.