Floridian residents should be aware of deceptive trade practices. What are they? How do they impact you? Is there anything that can be done if you have fallen victim to deceptive trade practices? What if you find out that a company you work for is employing these tactics?
FindLaw looks into the details of deceptive trade practices, which differ from the run-of-the-mill advertisements that may have some exaggerations. Despite what some may think, grandiose claims about services or products are technically not considered to be deceptive as long as the claims aren’t false. So what would be considered a deceptive practice, then?
Essentially, deceptive trade practices are any number of tactics used to trick a consumer into purchasing a product that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to. False advertisement is one example. For a falsely advertised product, actors may be paid to dress up like doctors, teachers, or other professionals in order to promote the use of a product as someone seemingly from that specialist’s field.
The condition that goods are presented as can also be tampered with in a way that’s considered deceptive. For example, if a company advertises their product as being brand new and unused, but it’s actually old or damaged, that’s a deception. Tampering with a car’s odometer to make it seem as though it has fewer miles is another example, along with the selling of counterfeit goods.
If you have suffered because of a company’s deceptive trade practices, some states allow for private or class action law suits. You can speak with an attorney to look into your options.
