There are a number of laws designed to protect consumers.  Consumers are typically defined as individual persons who are obtaining goods and services for personal, family, or household purposes.  This excludes business purposes.  Some of the statutes we deal with are as follows:

The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) was designed to enable consumers to have a full awareness of the cost of credit.  When you buy something and have to make several payments over time, the Truth in Lending Act is likely involved.  You should get a page or two that tells you what your APR - Annual Percentage Rate - is.  If you're having an issue with a sale or transaction that you're repaying over time, let us see if we can help.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs your credit reports, and not only those who furnish the information, but the companies that compile and make those reports available.  Your credit report can affect many aspects of your life from the interest rate you pay on a car loan, whether you qualify for a home loan, and even whether you can rent an apartment.  If you believe there are inaccuracies on your credit report, let us see if we can help.

The Fair Debt Collection Act (FDCPA) was designed to prevent abusive tactics by debt collectors.  Just because you owe a debt doesn't mean that a debt collector can call and harass you, threaten you, or provide false or misleading information in an effort to get you to repay the debt.  If you're getting phone calls or letters concerning a debt, let us see if we can help.

The Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act (RESPA) governs the sale of real estate, as well as the servicing of mortgage loans.  Homeowners have a host of rights under the Real Estate Settlement Procedure Act.  Often, homeowners know how to send requests to their mortgage servicers (mortgage companies), but do not know what to do if they don't receive a full response, or don't receive a response at all.  If you have an issue with your home mortgage loan, let us see if we can help.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is designed to curb robocalls and telemarketing solicitations, some aspects of debt collection, and junk faxes.  If you have an issue with unwanted calls, prerecorded calls, telemarketers, or junk faxes, let us see if we can help. 

Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA) protects consumers when they enter into contracts or transactions with most businesses.  If the business or its employees act unfairly, deceptively, or unconscionably toward the consumer, then the consumer may have a remedy.  This could be cancelling the contract or transaction with the business, or suing the business to recoup the consumer's losses.  The business may even be liable for treble (triple) damages to the consumer, and the business may have to pay the consumer's attorney fees.  If you have an issue with a contract or transaction you had with a business, let us see is we can help.

Ohio's Home Solicitation Sales Act (HSSA) is a subsection of Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act.  It governs transactions that occur when companies initially contact you at your home, as opposed to you going to their business location, and applies special rules to these transactions.  If you have an issue with a contract or transaction where a business visited you at your home, let us see if we can help.

Ohio's Prepaid Entertainment Contract Act (PECA) is another subsection of Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act.  It governs contracts where you prepay for dance lessons, social referral services (dating services), martial arts training, or health spa services (health spas, gyms, bodybuilding, exercise, training, etc.).  Because you prepay before you receive anything, special rules apply, especially when it comes to letting you cancel these prepaid entertainment contracts.  If you have an issue with a contract or transaction where you prepaid and it involves on of these industries, let us see if we can help.