The Massachusetts House has passed a bill (H.B. 4701) that would prohibit certain types of lawsuits. H.B. 4701 has come out of the Senate committee and awaits a full vote of the Senate. The law will preclude certain lawsuits related to retail sales and a retailer’s practice of charging more than the advertised price for goods sold. This bill is anti-consumer and seeks to eliminate, retroactively, lawsuits already pending in our court system.
The Bill was introduced to help protect a few local-area retailers already faced with significant exposure from such pending lawsuits, but will apply to all future retailers in Massachusetts. The supporters of the Bill reason only that retailers should not be burdened with the fear of lawsuits. Though, if the Bill becomes law, retailers who charge more than the advertised price of a product would be able to keep the amount they overcharged, and only open complaint to the goverment will an investigator be called to examine the reciepts. The fine is only $100 for the first offense and cannot, by statute, exceed $5000 per investigation regardless of how may customers were cheated. If you feel strongly against this Bill, call your Senator to offer your opinion.
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