New Jersey is a great state to live in if you want to be protected from unethical vendors and companies. Unfortunately, many consumers in the Garden State often aren’t aware of some of the most important consumer protection laws that are on the books. Here are three you might have missed – and why you should know about them.
It is illegal for contracting companies to ask for the full payment on a job upfront – no matter how big or small the job may be. Due to the fact that it is easy for contractors to up and leave from job sites, never to return again, New Jersey state law dictates that they cannot ask for the full price of contracting work upfront. The work has to be paid in installments, with the last portion given after the job has been done.
If you’re leasing a vehicle, you have the right to take home the contract for 24 hours before you sign it, and you’re also entitled to complete disclosure of the trade in allowance as well as the cost of the vehicle if it’s above MSRP. Basically, you are allowed to think it over at the price they quoted you, regardless of how badly they want you to sign up at that very moment. Violation of this law is considered a violation of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
Actually, salesmen of any sort are not allowed to omit important information about products or services that they offer if it could potentially cause a loss. This is covered in the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, too. If a company or a person knowingly omits an important defect or detail that causes you to have a loss of some sort, they can be held accountable legally. If you have been defrauded by a person or company, you are actually entitled to compensation for the loss that you have suffered.
The bottom line is that any purchase you make, especially if it’s a major one, is likely covered by consumer protection laws. People who are defrauded by others have the right to seek out damages for their loss.
If you or a loved one feels like they have been defrauded, contact the law office of Posternock Apell, PC today for a free phone consultation.