Gift Cards, Returns and Prices: Massachusetts Rules for Holiday Shoppers

Massachusetts shoppers have more protections than many realize. A consumer guide from the state Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation lays out the main rules.

Gift cards

• Most gift cards bought in Massachusetts are good for at least seven years and cannot carry fees, including dormancy fees. Cards issued by Visa and American Express are exempt from these rules.
• After you have used 90 percent of a card's value, you can ask for the remaining balance in cash.
• Gift certificates must show an issue date and an expiration date, or those dates must be available online or on the receipt. If no dates are given, the certificate does not expire.

Returns

No state law requires stores to take back items. But a store must post its return policy clearly so you can read it before paying, and staff cannot misstate it. Defective items are different: the store must accept them, and you can choose a repair, a replacement or a refund. Store credit issued for a return must be good for at least seven years.

Prices and ads

• Grocery items must ring up at the lowest price shown on the item, the shelf tag or an ad.
• A store has to honor an advertised price, even a wrong one, until it posts a correction.
• If an advertised item sells out, the store generally has to sell it to you at the sale price once it is back in stock or offer a comparable substitute.
• An ad that just says sale must offer at least 10 percent off items priced at $200 or less.

Pricing complaints about stores other than grocers go to the Attorney General's consumer hotline at 617-727-8400.