On July 29, the attorney general from Massachusetts released an updated guidance and a webinar to help businesses in Massachusetts comply with the Bay State’s consumer protection regulations prohibiting so-called “junk fees” ahead of the Sept. 2 deadline.
As previously covered by InfoBytes, the attorney general announced new regulations to combat purported “junk fees” by requiring businesses to disclose total product costs upfront and simplify the cancellation process for trials and subscriptions, as well as asserting that these fees would violate the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act as an unfair and deceptive practice.
The guidance aims to help businesses comply with the new regulations and address common questions. Businesses must clearly disclose the total price of a product — including all mandatory charges or fees — whenever pricing information is presented and before collecting any personal information from consumers. The rules would require disclosure of the nature and amount of any charges (e.g., a “cleaning fee” quoted at $5.99), as well as identification of optional or waivable fees and instructions for avoiding them.
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