Massachusetts

Consumer Protection Division
Office of the Attorney General
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108
617-727-8400
E-mail: ago@state.ma.us
http://www.mass.gov/ago/bureaus/public-protection-and-advocacy/the-consumer-protection-division/

To file a complaint online, click here.

Massachusetts’s Laws

Here’s a snapshot of the laws in Massachusetts regarding deceptive advertising:

General Laws of Massachusetts Chapter 93A, § 1 & 2: Makes it unlawful to use any unfair or deceptive acts or practices in connection with advertisements.

General Laws of Massachusetts Chapter 266, § 91: Prohibits the use of advertisements that contain untrue, deceptive, or misleading statements or representations.

Possible Penalties

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

• Injunction (General Laws of Massachusetts Chapter 93A, § 11);

• Actual damages  (General Laws of Massachusetts Chapter 93A, § 11);

• Up to three, but not less than two, times the amount of actual damages (GLOSSARY) if the court finds that the advertiser acted willfully or knowingly (General Laws of Massachusetts Chapter 93A, § 11);

•  The cost of reasonable attorney’s fees of the person suing, if that person wins the lawsuit (General Laws of Massachusetts Chapter 93A, § 11).

Small Claims Court in Massachusetts

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 Massachusetts, click here.

Researching Consumer Complaints

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

Massachusetts Attorney General
Division of Consumer Protection
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108-1518

Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
10 Park Plaza, Suite 5170
Boston, MA 02116

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 Massachusetts, and not a comprehensive list.**