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Shoppers Now Protected From Phony Bargains

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Right before out very eyes, some shady retailers have been pulling fast ones on customers. It's easy: just arbitrarily double the price of something, then mark it half off. Voila, people think they're getting a bargain, meanwhile they're paying full price. But on Tuesday, that practice became a riskier endeavor for retailers. The Ninth Circuit Court ruled in Hinojos v. Kohl's Corp., et al., that fake bargains of this ilk qualify as false advertising and customers can recover losses from sneaky stores. So shoppers of San Francisco, keep calm and shop on—and know that you can sue if a retailer tries to dupe you.
--by Esther Hahn
· Shoppers Can Sue Over Phony Markdowns [SF Gate]
· Kohl's [Official Site]