Individuals in Bassfield, as with other areas of the U.S., are surrounded by businesses offering products and services. Unfortunately, not all of these businesses are ethical in their practices, resulting in people losing money over scams or suffering injury or financial harm due to faulty products. If you have suffered harm as a result of bad business practices, a Bassfield consumer law attorney can help you understand your rights and the process of resolving your issue.
What a Consumer Lawyer Does
Consumer laws are designed to protect consumers from unfair or predatory business practices. A consumer lawyer helps to protect their rights, by legally addressing such issues as:
- Harassment by debt collectors
- Injury as a result of a defective product
- Credit reporting errors
- Telemarketer harassment
- Debt relief, including bankruptcy
- Fraudulent auto sales or violations to the state’s lemon law
Laws that Protect Bassfield Consumers
There are a number of federal and state laws that protect Bassfield consumers, providing remedies through the civil court system that may include compensation, free repair or replacement of faulty products, or even removal of damaging information from the consumer’s credit report. Some of these laws include:
- Mississippi personal injury laws that provide those who have been injured as a result of negligent manufacturing practices or strict liability to seek compensation within three years of the date on which the incident causing injury occurred.
- The federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, which gives the government the power to regulate the safety of foods, medications, surgical devices, and other consumable products.
- The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which controls the time of day in which debt collectors can contact you, prohibits them from sharing information about your debt with others, and provides the consumer with the opportunity to demand that debt collectors stop attempting to communicate with them.
- The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires companies to accurately report information about the consumer’s creditworthiness on their credit report.
- The federal Truth in Lending Act, which ensures that creditors use standardized costs when dealing with lending and fairly make loans and extend credit.
How to Protect Your Consumer Rights
In order to protect their rights, consumers can a number of actions, including the following:
- Evaluate risky purchases carefully before making them.
- Ask about product warranties.
- Ensure that the professionals you’re working with are properly licensed.
- Check business reviews with online review sites, as well as the Better Business Bureau.
- Make sure that your online purchasing takes place on secure websites.
