Georgia

Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 356
Atlanta, GA 30334-9077
(404) 651-8600/(800) 869-1123
http://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-services
To file a complaint online, click here.
Georgia’s Laws
Here’s a snapshot of Georgia’s laws regarding deceptive advertising:
Georgia Code § 10-1-372: Lists a number of acts that are deemed deceptive trade practices, including, but not limited to, advertising goods or services with the intent not to sell them as advertised.
Georgia Code§ 10-1-420: Echoes Georgia Code § 10-1-372 (above), and prohibits the use of advertisements when the advertiser has no intent to sell the goods or services as advertised.
Georgia Code § 10-1-421: Prohibits the use of false or fraudulent statements in advertisements.
Possible Penalties
Some of the penalties that fraudulent or deceptive advertisers may suffer in Georgia include:
- Injunction (Georgia Code § 10-1-373) and (§ 10-1-423);
- Up to $2,000 for each willful violation of the laws against deceptive advertising (Georgia Code § 10-1-397);
- Exemplary damages when the advertiser intentionally violated the law against deceptive advertising (Georgia Code § 10-1-399).
Small Claims Court in Georgia
If you’re not trying to recover big bucks, but rather just trying to recoup the money you spent on a product or service after being duped by a false ad, then you might consider filing a lawsuit in Small Claims Court.
For general info about filing a lawsuit in Small Claims Court, click here.
For info on how to file a Small Claims lawsuit in Georgia, click here.
Researching Consumer Complaints
To obtain copies of complaints consumers have filed against a business, you can send Freedom of Information requests to:
Governor’s Office of Consumer Protection
2 Martin Luther King Jr Dr.
Suite 356
Atlanta,GA 30334-9077
Georgia Department of Law
40 Capitol Square SW
Atlanta, GA 30334-1300
A sample Freedom of Information request can be found here.
**Please note that this page is informational only and does not take the place of legal advice. Please also note that the above summary is meant to provide a brief look at the laws in Georgia, and not a comprehensive list.
A court order that requires a person or company to do a particular act or to refrain from doing a particular act. Example? A court order prohibiting a company from using an ad that’s been deemed deceptive.
Money awarded in a lawsuit for injuries suffered.