Start Building Your File
The records are what matter most, so begin collecting them today.
- Contracts and receipts. Estimates, invoices, warranties and confirmations all count. Keep the product and its packaging too.
- Screenshots of the promise. Capture the listing, website or post. Businesses can edit or delete those.
- Bank and card statements. Mark what you paid, when and to whom.
- Notes on conversations. Jot down phone calls and in-person promises with dates, names and the words used.
- Photos of the work. For a repair job, take wide and close shots of what was done and what was skipped.
- Pause before signing anything new. Many people check with a lawyer first.
A simple timeline of who said what, and when, helps.
Common Grand Strand Disputes
Along the coast, people run into trouble with vacation rentals that don't match the listing, roofers and repair crews who show up after a hurricane, and builders in the fast-growing parts of Horry County. Some of these are bad deals. Some may be more.
When a Bad Deal Breaks the Law
The Act makes unfair or deceptive acts or practices in trade or commerce unlawful.1 Still, many broken promises and billing fights fall outside it.
To sue privately under the Act, you generally need a practice with public reach, for example one that has burned other customers or is likely to be repeated. A dispute that only involves you and the business usually isn't enough on its own.2
Want someone to look at your situation?
Talk with our team about what happened and ask the questions on your mind.
The Filing Deadline
Claims under the Act generally must be filed within three years after the unlawful conduct is discovered.3 It's risky to guess either way, that time remains or that it ran out. A lawyer can check the dates and whether this law, a contract claim or something else fits. Our statewide consumer protection page has more.
Talk With Us
Losing money to a business you trusted is maddening, and it's hard to tell a bad bargain from something the law reaches. We'll hear what you were promised, what you paid and where the two split. When the facts point to an ordinary contract fight instead, you'll hear that from us.
We take cases across South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand. Our office is on King Street in Charleston. The first conversation can happen by phone.
If a business is spreading false claims about you, see defamation in Myrtle Beach. Have the paperwork handy when you call.
South Carolina Law on This
- The South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of trade or commerce.1
- To bring a private claim under the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act, a person must show the practice affects the public interest, which a purely private contract dispute usually does not.2
- Claims under the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act generally must be filed within three years after the unlawful conduct is discovered.3
- To bring a private claim under South Carolina's Unfair Trade Practices Act, a person generally must have suffered an ascertainable loss of money or property caused by the unfair or deceptive conduct. The loss does not necessarily have to be an out-of-pocket payment; other measurable property or economic losses may qualify.4
- Under the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act, a person who suffers a financial or property loss because of an unlawful unfair or deceptive business practice may sue to recover actual damages. If the court finds that the violation was willful or knowing, it must award three times the actual damages. A court that finds a violation in a qualifying private lawsuit must also award reasonable attorney's fees and costs.5
Frequently Asked Questions
I signed a contract with the contractor. Can I still have a claim?
Possibly. A signed contract doesn't automatically block a claim under the Act, but a broken contract alone usually isn't an unfair trade practice.2 What you were told, what the contract says and whether others were affected all matter.
Do I need to have lost money?
Generally, yes. A private claim under the Act requires a measurable loss of money or property caused by the unfair or deceptive conduct.4 That might be money paid because of a misleading promise. Whether your loss qualifies depends on the facts.
What can someone recover under the Act?
A successful private claim may recover actual damages, plus reasonable attorney's fees and costs. If the court finds the violation was willful or knowing, it must award three times the actual damages.5 All of it hinges on proof, and nobody can promise an outcome.
I live out of state and booked a Myrtle Beach rental online. Can we talk?
Yes. You don't have to be in South Carolina for us to talk. Gather the listing screenshots, booking emails and payment records first if you can.
Sources
This page is general information about South Carolina law, not legal advice for your situation. Every case depends on its own facts.
