The Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices Act and Consumer Protection Law.
The Unfair Trade Practices Act makes it illegal to engage in unfair or deceptive acts or practices when selling a product or service. These practices can include representing that a particular product such as a vehicle is of a particular standard, quality or grade, when it is not. These illegal practices can also include the making of representations about the characteristics, uses or benefits of a particular product, when they are not true.
Another example of an unfair trade practice is where a business uses deceptive means to induce you to hire them or buy their product. Imagine the scenario where it is the dead of winter and you have a furnace problem. The HVAC company comes to your home and discovers that the pilot light is out. Instead of simply re-lighting the pilot, they instead tell you that your furnace is shot and that it must be replaced. Thinking you have no choice, you hire the company to complete the unneccessary replacement. This is clearly fraudulent and deceptive activity on the part of the HVAC company. The Unfair Trade Practices Act gives you the right to file suit against the company.
Another example often occurs in the used car industry. We have all had the experience of visiting a used car lot where the salesman runs out to join you and suggests that this particular vehicle is a "cream puff", that it runs perfectly, that it was traded in by a little old lady who never drove it or that it was never in an accident. If the salesman isn't telling the truth when he makes those representations, the PA Unfair Trade Practices Act may allow you to bring a claim against the dealer.
The great thing about the Unfair Trade Practices Act is that it allow you to recover reasonable attorney fees if you are successful in your claim. This means that the defendant will have to pay your attorney fees if you win your lawsuit.
Contact our office today at 412-281-1250 or 1-888-536-6644 for a no cost, no obligation review of your Unfair Trade Practice issue.
