WHAT TO EXPECT IN TERMS OF PAYMENT
“The beautiful thing about many aspects of consumer law is that customers may not have to pay anything,” DeLiberty explains. He claims this is due to the fact that many consumer protection laws allow for fee-shifting, which requires the other party to pay your attorney’s fees if you win the case.
That also means you may have to pay your attorney’s fees if you lose the case. However, DeLiberty notes that some businesses may offer to waive the charge if you don’t win ahead of time, but expect them to thoroughly evaluate your case before choosing to take it on.
It’s also not always free. “There are a few areas of consumer law where the consumer should expect to pay a price,” DeLiberty explains. “These include debt defense (when you’re sued for money owed) and bankruptcy.”
The cost and arrangements may differ depending on your case, your location, and the firm. Some businesses, for example, may charge you an hourly fee, but others may accept your case for a flat price. Alternatively, you might be able to negotiate a contingency payment, such as paying a percentage of the difference between what you owe and how much you pay to settle your debts.
WHEN CONTACTING YOUR STATE’S ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY BE THE BEST OPTION
If your complaint is about a company’s malfeasance, you can also submit a complaint with your state’s attorney general’s (AG) office.
“The AG office cannot represent individual customers,” says Abigail Stempson, director of the National Association of Attorneys General’s (NAGTRI) Center for Consumer Protection. “They represent the entire state.”
However, once you have shared your concern with your AG, they may contact the business and act as a go-between. In some cases, the corporation may end up refunding your money or responding to the AG and sharing its side of the story.
“It’s a free channel that you can utilize in most AG’s offices, and it can fix many difficulties,” Stempson explains.
When a larger problem affects several consumers, the AG may even file a lawsuit against the corporation. “What the AG’s office is looking at is when a company does something that is unfair, misleading, or unconscionable, depending on the applicable consumer law,” Stempson explains. Although the state is not representing you, the firm may end up paying compensation to consumers who were affected as part of a settlement or litigation.
