Bill > H304

This bill amends Chapter 93A of the Massachusetts General Laws to establish new regulations for consumer rebates, defining them as a return of any portion of the purchase price that acts as a discount. It makes it an unfair business practice to advertise a product's "net price" (the price after a rebate) without also clearly displaying the "actual selling price" (the price before the rebate) in the same font size, and without a conspicuous notice that a mail-in rebate is required to reach the net price, unless the rebate is fully discounted at the point of sale, in which case the retailer must redeem the rebate. The bill also prohibits refusing photocopies of sales receipts for rebate redemption and requires at least thirty days from the purchase date for consumers to submit rebate documents, with submission dates determined by postmark for mail or receipt date for other methods. Violators face a civil fine of up to $500 per violation, and the law defines "clear and conspicuous" as readily noticeable and understandable information. This section will take effect on January 1st of the year following its passage.