Sellers are required to have enough supply of advertised items available to meet reasonably anticipated demand. It is not false advertising if a store runs out of an advertised item and any one of the following is true:
- It had a reasonable quantity, but demand was extraordinary.
- The ad stated that quantities were limited and no rain checks were available.
- The seller offered a rain check.
- The seller offered a comparable substitute item.
- The seller can prove shipping delays.
If a store runs out of an advertised item, ask for a rain check, if one is offered, so you can buy the item at the advertised price at a later date. The store must notify you when the item is back in stock if it sells for $25 or more. The rain check must be honored within 60 days.
Lay Away Plans
It is an unfair or deceptive act or practice for a store to fail to disclose or to misrepresent its lay away plan to those consumers seeking lay away, or for a store to represent that particular goods chosen by the buyer or an exact duplicate is being "laid away" if that is not true, or to fail to disclose any time limits on the setting aside of merchandise.
It is also unfair or deceptive to increase the price of lay away goods, either by increasing payments or substituting lesser quality goods, or to fail to deliver the goods laid away or an exact substitute, when payments have been made, unless the buyer has previously agreed to changes in writing. The store is also required to give the buyer a receipt for payments made as they are made, and, if requested, to give a list of the balance of payments made to that date.
Finally, it is unfair or deceptive to fail to disclose or to misrepresent in any way the policy concerning cancellations and repayments or non-repayment of payments already made, and if payments are not refunded, to fail to disclose that fact in writing.