Maybe you are finishing up your Christmas shopping, or maybe you haven’t started yet. Either way, state Attorney General, Dana Nessel, has some reminders for residents during the holiday shopping season. Under the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, retailers are required to clearly display the price of items within the store. The intent is to protect consumers by making sure they pay the lowest price for items. If a consumer is charged more than the listed price, they are entitled to a refund if they meet certain criteria. To get a refund, you need to have been overcharged, actually paid for the item, and have a receipt. According to the Attorney General, to receive a refund, a consumer must notify the retailer within 30 days of the transaction. The retailer has two days to refund the consumer for the difference between the listed price and the charged price, plus a “bonus” of 10 times the difference not less than $1 and with a maximum of $5. She also said that if a consumer suspects a store’s failure to properly display the price of an item under the Shopping Reform and Modernization Act, they may file a complaint with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at Michigan.gov.
