#consumer-protection
Consumer protection laws, unfair trade practices, and customer rights compliance
Since 1 March 2026, printerless Chilean businesses must deliver every boleta electrónica by email, SMS, WhatsApp or QR — fines reach 500% of the sale.
Since August 2, 2026, EU AI Act Article 50 forces chatbots to disclose they are AI and deepfakes to carry labels — US sellers with EU customers included.
Kuwait's Decree-Law No. 10 of 2026 requires every social-media seller to register with MOCI, issue Arabic e-invoices, honor a 14-day return window, and keep influencer records five years — penalties reach KD 10,000 or a year in prison.
In a contract for deed, the seller keeps legal title until your last payment while you pay the taxes, insurance, and repairs. Since the CFPB's 2024 advisory opinion, covered sellers must assess ability to repay, disclose the APR, and face limits on balloon payments.
Retailers selling by weight must use an NTEP-certified scale, register it with their weights-and-measures authority, and reinspect annually — New York charges $20 to $100 per scale and requires requests 60 days before expiration. Selling by gross weight instead of net weight is a misdemeanor in California, with fines up to $1,000 per illegal transaction.
The FTC's Green Guides require competent and reliable scientific evidence before an environmental claim runs — an unqualified "recyclable" needs facilities available to at least 60% of consumers, "biodegradable" needs complete breakdown within one year of customary disposal, and California's AB 1305 adds a public disclosure page for carbon-neutral claims at up to $2,500 per day per violation.
Colorado's HB25-1090 took effect January 1, 2026, requiring any business that advertises a price to Colorado customers to show the maximum total including every mandatory fee, displayed more prominently than any other price. Violations are deceptive trade practices under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act — up to $20,000 per violation, treble damages in private suits, and 18% compounded interest on unlawful rental fees.
The FTC's December 2025 Instacart settlement priced three common practices at $60 million in refunds — "free delivery" with a mandatory service fee, a satisfaction guarantee paid out in credits, and trials converting without express consent — and this checklist maps each allegation onto disclosure, guarantee, and ROSCA subscription rules small businesses must follow.
Offering layaway for holiday 2026 lets retailers keep the full ticket price instead of paying 4-6% BNPL merchant fees — but deposits must be booked as liabilities until pickup, every fee disclosed in writing before the first payment, and sales tax timed to delivery. This guide covers the accounting entries, state disclosure rules, and the layaway-versus-BNPL math.
The FTC's amended COPPA Rule, finalized in January 2025 with compliance required by April 2026, reaches any app or website with actual knowledge of users under 13, not just products built for children. It requires a separate opt-in parental consent before sharing a child's data or serving targeted ads, a published retention schedule that bars indefinite storage, and a written security program, with civil penalties above $50,000 per violation. This guide lays out who is covered, which consent methods the FTC accepts, and a seven-step checklist a small team can run without a privacy department.
The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act applies to every written warranty on a consumer product costing more than $10, requiring a full or limited title, forbidding blanket disclaimers of implied warranties and brand-name parts requirements, and mandating pre-sale access to the terms above $15. A small-seller guide with a 10-point compliance checklist.
Connecticut's amended Data Privacy Act took effect July 1, 2026, cutting the applicability threshold from 100,000 to 35,000 consumers, adding zero-threshold triggers for sensitive data and data sales, and removing the guaranteed 60-day cure period. Here is what changed, what arrives October 1, and a six-step checklist for small businesses.
