In today’s world with corporations growing larger and technology becoming more invasive ordinary consumers now, more than ever, need the protections granted them by various state and federal laws designed to protect them from unfair, oppressive, fraudulent and predatory business tactics often employed by certain corporations. You may have been victimized by such tactics yet not realize there is a remedy for your loss.

The South Carolina Consumer Protection Code and federal laws protect consumers from a wide variety of unfair tactics. These laws offer protection and compensation for unfair tactics perpetrated by a host of businesses including insurance companies, telemarketers, telephone companies, sales people, utilities, loan companies, credit reporting agencies, debt collectors and car dealerships, to name just a few. These laws are designed to protect you by giving you a remedy for such unfair tactics and to encourage fair business practices by allowing you to sue those who violate your rights as a consumer.

We here at BQS are happy to be in the forefront of the fight to protect consumers from those who would unfairly take advantage of them. By representing consumers who have been treated unfairly, we believe we help make our state a better place to live while serving the interests of legitimate business people.

As the provider law firm for Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.’s 30,000 families in South Carolina, we are aware of consumer issues that are prevalent in South Carolina and how companies perpetrate such tactics. The following is a list of what we have found to be the top 25 most frequently perpetrated consumer law violations. While this is not a complete list, you may use it as a reference to see if you have been victimized in one of these ways.

The Top 25 Consumer Law Violations as found by BQS:

1. Debt collectors harassment - repeated telephone contact
2. Debt collectors harassment - threats of garnishment, arrest
3. Debt collectors harassment - calling neighbors and family members
4. Debt collectors harassment - calling consumer after being told to cease
5. Debt collectors harassment - calling consumer’s place of employment
6. Mobile homes - paperwork not accurate (seller gives "good deal" to consumer and disguises fraud)
7. Cellular telephone services - failing to provide services as promised under the contract
8. Vehicle sales - failure to provide services under a warranty
9. Vehicle sales - failure to provide any benefit to the bargain
10. Billing errors - failure to respond to consumer’s requests for information
11. Failure to provide accounting when requested
12. Debt repair agencies - failure to provide notices regarding services as required under federal law
13. Telemarketing - failure to provide services/products as promised
14. Unauthorized withdrawals from checking accounts or credit cards
15. Non-delivery of merchandise after internet purchase
16. Inaccurate or incorrect information reported to credit reporting agencies
17. Failure of credit reporting agencies to remove inaccurate or incorrect information
18. Credit card "deals" - paying for a credit card that only may be used for certain catalog purchases
19. Credit card "deals" - paying application fee for a credit card then never receiving the card
20. Mobile homes - failure to provide title to the home
21. Lemon Laws
22. Wrongful repossession
23. False credit reporting
24. Insurance practices: failure to pay benefits
25. Insurance practices: failure to settle claims reasonably

Class Actions: Consumer law violations often concern relatively small amounts of money or loss or aggravation. Often, the amount of money involved in any one violation would not justify the expense of a law suit. Nevertheless, such consumer law violations cause damage and should be addressed. Therefore, the law allows injured consumers to band together and form what is known as a "class." This class can bring what is called a class action. The advantages of the class action tool is that it allows a lawyer to sue on behalf of many people to rectify a pervasive community wrong without it costing class members an inordinate amount of money.

If you have any further questions about consumer protection issues, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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