Rhode Island

Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Unit
150 South Main Street
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 274-4400
E-mail: contactus@riag.ri.gov
http://www.riag.ri.gov/homeboxes/Consumer.php

To file a complaint online, click here.

Rhode Island’s Laws

Here’s a snapshot of Rhode Island’s laws regarding deceptive advertising:

Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-1 and § 6-13.1-2: Lists a number of unfair or deceptive acts that are deemed to be unlawful, 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 Rhode Island include:

• Injunction (Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-5(a));

• The return of money or property acquired by the unlawful advertising (Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-5(c));

• Actual damages or $200, whichever is greater (Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-5.2(a));

• Punitive damages (Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-5.2(a));

• The cost of reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of the person suing, if that person wins the lawsuit (Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-5.2(d));

• Up to $10,000 per violation of an injunction (Rhode Island General Laws § 6-13.1-8)

Small Claims Court in Rhode Island

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 Rhode Island, click here.

Researching Consumer Complaints

Rhode Island does not make consumer complaints provided to the state Attorney General available to the public.

**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 Rhode Island, and not a comprehensive list.**