Washington

Office of the Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
800 5th Ave, Suite 2000
Seattle, WA 98104-3188
(800) 551-4636/(206) 464-6684
Email: csu@atg.wa.gov
http://www.atg.wa.gov/safeguarding-consumers
To file a complaint online, click here.
Washington’s Laws
Here’s a snapshot of Washington’s laws regarding deceptive advertising:
Washington Revised Code § 19.86.020: States that unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce are unlawful.
Washington Revised Code § 9.04.010: Makes it unlawful to use advertisements that contain untrue, deceptive, or misleading statements.
Possible Penalties
Some of the penalties that fraudulent or deceptive advertisers may suffer in Washington include:
- The return of money or property acquired by the unlawful advertising (Washington Revised Code § 19.86.080);
- The cost of reasonable attorney’s fees of the person suing, if that person wins the lawsuit (Washington Revised Code § 19.86.090 and Washington Revised Code Section 19.86.080);
- Up to three times the amount of actual damages (up to $25,000) (Washington Revised Code § 19.86.090).
Small Claims Court in Washington
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 Washington, 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:
Attorney General of Washington
Administration Division
P.O. Box 40100
Olympia, WA 98504-0100
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 Washington, and not a comprehensive list.**
The chief law enforcement official in each one of the 50 states; also refers to the person heading the federal government’s Justice Department
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.
Compensation for losses that are proven to have occurred.