Deceptive Business Practices
Consumer Protection Act — $500 or actual damages, and treble for a willful violation
- Misrepresenting goods or services as someone else's, or misrepresenting their source, sponsorship or approval.
- Misrepresenting that goods or services have characteristics, uses or benefits, or a standard, quality or grade, they do not have.
- Offering used, defective, reconditioned or secondhand goods without clearly saying so.
- Advertising goods or services with intent not to sell them as advertised, or at the advertised price or terms.
- False or misleading statements about the reasons for or amounts of price reductions.
- Misrepresenting that repairs or services were performed or parts installed.
- Any other deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise or misrepresentation in a consumer transaction.
Actual damages or $500, and up to three times for a willful violation. In Virginia, a person who suffers loss from a violation may sue for actual damages or $500, whichever is greater. If the violation was willful, damages may be increased to up to three times actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater, and reasonable attorney fees and court costs may be awarded.
The list of prohibited practices is printed in several versions, the next taking effect October 1, 2026; the practices named here are read from the version in force when this page was written.
Sources for this section (2)
- Va. Code 59.1-200 — Prohibited practices
- Va. Code 59.1-204 — Individual action for damages or penalty
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Virginia attorney.