Unfair and deceptive sales practices
Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act (R.C. Chapter 1345) prohibits unfair, deceptive, and unconscionable acts by businesses in consumer transactions. Common problems include:
- Misrepresenting what a product or service is or does
- Advertising one deal and delivering another
- Taking payment and failing to deliver or refund
- Repair or home improvement work that was not what was promised
Depending on the violation, a consumer may be able to cancel the transaction or recover damages, in some cases three times the actual economic damages, and a court may award attorney fees (R.C. 1345.09).
Car purchases and Ohio’s lemon law
Ohio’s lemon law covers new vehicles with defects that substantially impair their use, value, or safety when the problem arises in the first year or the first 18,000 miles, whichever comes first (R.C. 1345.72).
Separately, a dealer’s misrepresentations about a vehicle or the terms of the sale can violate the Consumer Sales Practices Act.
Debt collection abuse
The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. § 1692 and following) bars debt collectors from harassment, false or misleading statements, and unfair collection practices. Keep the letters, voicemails, and call logs.
Security deposits
After a lease ends and the tenant returns possession, an Ohio landlord has thirty days to return the security deposit along with a written, itemized list of any deductions. A tenant whose deposit is wrongfully withheld may recover that amount, an equal amount in damages, and reasonable attorney fees (R.C. 5321.16). Give your landlord your forwarding address in writing.
What to bring
- The contract, purchase agreement, or lease
- Receipts, invoices, and proof of payment
- Texts, emails, letters, and advertisements
- Photos and repair records
Consumer claims have filing deadlines, and some are short. If something feels wrong about a transaction, ask about it sooner rather than later.