Maine

Attorney General’s Consumer Information and Mediation Service
6 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 626-8849/(800) 436-2131
E-mail: consumer.mediation@maine.gov.
http://www.maine.gov/ag/consumer/index.shtml

To file a complaint online, click here.

Maine’s Laws

Here’s a snapshot of Maine’s laws regarding deceptive advertising:

Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 §1212:  Lists a number of acts that are deemed deceptive trade practices, including, but not limited to, advertising goods or services with intent not to sell them as advertised.

Possible Penalties

Some of the penalties that fraudulent or deceptive advertisers may suffer in Maine include:

• Injunction (Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 §1213);

• When the advertiser has acted willfully, the cost of reasonable attorney’s fees of the person suing if that person wins the lawsuit (Maine Revised Statutes Title 10 §1213);

Small Claims Court in Maine

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 Maine, click here.

Researching Consumer Complaints

To obtain copies of complaints consumers have filed against a business, you can send a Freedom of Information request to:

Maine Attorney General
6 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333

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 Maine, and not a comprehensive list.**