Practically anyone who you do business with, and people trying to do business with you, can violate your rights as a consumer. Your rights come from federal and state laws, and there can be penalties for businesses that cross the line, whether they intended to or not. To hold the business accountable, you should hire an experienced consumer law attorney.
By the time you have hired a lawyer, chances are that you have gotten the runaround from a business or have been subjected to intense pressure. You may have even thought that you made your position clear, only to be ignored. When businesses break consumer laws, they are playing with fire. There are routinely stories of massive class action lawsuits that cost these companies a lot of money. You can even file a lawsuit on an individual level when the business has directly wronged you.
Mississippi and Federal Consumer Protection Laws
As a consumer, you have rights that come from several Mississippi state laws:
- Mississippi Law allows you to file a lawsuit when you have suffered monetary losses when someone has used deceptive trade practices such as false advertising, bait-and-switch tactics, and other fraudulent activity to sell you something.
- The Mississippi Lemon Law requires the dealer to buy your car back or replace it when they cannot fix a defect that violates express warranties within one year after the date of purchase.
Federal law also gives you protection from other practices that could harm you as a consumer:
- The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs what can go on your credit report, how it is placed there, and how your credit report can be used.
- The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act specifies what debt collectors can do and how they can contact you. The law protects you from abuse or harassing debt collection practices.
- The Telephone Consumer Protection Act prohibits certain types of telemarketing activities and allows you to put yourself on a Do-Not-Call registry.
If negotiation, or even mediation, does not work, you can take matters to court. Here, the risks are high for the defendant because they could be facing a large lawsuit that could mean that they need to pay thousands, or even more, to injured consumers.
Possible Damages in a Consumer Law Case
You may be entitled to some of the following remedies:
- Rescission of a sale that relied on deceptive practice or monetary damages
- Replacement of a defective car that you bought
- A set amount of money that is specified in the statute
- Consequential losses when a wrong credit report costs you money
- Emotional distress damages when abusive business practices cause you severe stress and anxiety
- Possible punitive damages when the company has engaged in shocking and egregious behaviors
