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Alert
On January 16, 2024, Governor Phil Murphy signed the New Jersey Data Privacy Law, P.L. 2023, c. 266. The law went into effect on January 15, 2025. Please click on this Frequently Asked Questions link to learn more about the new law and your rights under it.
Alert
On January 8, 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law P.L. 2023, c. 237, which, among other things: amended the Contractors’ Business Registration Act (“CBRA,” formerly the “Contractors’ Registration Act”), N.J.S.A. 56:8-136 et seq., and created the “Home Improvement and Home Elevation Contractor Licensing Act,” N.J.S.A. 45:5AAA-1 et seq. For more information on the registration requirements for contractors and businesses under these laws, click here.
Alert
On July 10, 2024, Governor Murphy signed into law the Real Estate Consumer Protection Enhancement Act, P.L. 2024, c.32, which, among other things, requires sellers of residential property located in New Jersey to use the "Seller's Property Condition Disclosure Statement" ("Disclosure Statement," questions 1 through 108).

Additionally, on July 3, 2023, Governor Murphy signed into law P.L. 2023, c.93, which, among other things, requires sellers of all real property located in New Jersey to make certain additional disclosures concerning flood risks on the "Disclosure Statement." On July 15, 2024, the Division published a "Flood Risk Addendum" to the Disclosure Statement (questions 109 through 117), which includes the additional disclosures concerning flood risks.

As a result of these two laws, effective August 1, 2024:
  • Sellers of residential property must complete the Disclosure Statement (questions 1 through 108). A copy of the Disclosure Statement is available here; and
  • All sellers of real property, both residential and non-residential, must complete the Flood Risk Addendum to the Disclosure Statement (questions 109 through 117). A copy of the Flood Risk Addendum is available here.

The Division has created an instruction sheet with additional information regarding the use of these forms. The forms linked above supersede any forms previously posted by the Division, including, but not limited to, the "Amended Disclosure Statement" posted on December 21, 2023.

Press Release

For Immediate Release:
August 9, 2013

Office of The Attorney General
John J. Hoffman, Acting Attorney General

Division of Consumer Affairs
Eric T. Kanefsky, Director

Division of Law
Jeffrey S. Jacobson, Director
  For Further Information and Media Inquiries:
Jeff Lamm
Neal Buccino
(973) 504-6327
Consumer Alert: New Report Warns of Hidden Credit Card "Grey Charges"

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs is sending this Consumer Alert in order to call attention to so-called "grey charges" – hidden credit card and debit card charges that occur when consumers are deceptively signed up for products they never ordered, wanted, or intended to pay for.

According to a new report by BillGuard and Aite Group, credit and debit cardholders in the United States incurred 233 million grey charges in 2012, totaling $14.3 billion in charges. Roughly three in 1,000 credit card charges are grey charges, averaging $61 per transaction.

Grey charges are defined as "deceptive and unwanted credit and debit card charges that occur as a result of misleading sales and billing practices." The report identifies the following types of grey charges:

  • Free-to-Paid Charges, which accounted for 15 million transactions, totaling $6 billion, in 2012. Common Free-to-Paid charges are "free trials" for credit monitoring services that charge consumers monthly fees if they don't affirmatively cancel on time.
  • Phantom Charges: Consumer agrees to a transaction and then receives an unwanted additional product or service that may come from the original seller or a third-party seller.
  • Zombie Charges: A subscription or membership that doesn't end even after you cancel it.
  • Unintended Subscriptions: Consumer completes a one-time transaction that turns into an unwanted ongoing subscription.
  • Membership: Consumer joins a club that offers products/services at a discounted price. In the fine print, the consumer agrees to receive and pay for merchandise periodically unless the club is notified not to send it.
  • Auto-Renewals: Consumer enters into an agreement to purchase goods or services. If the consumer does not cancel prior to the cancellation deadline, the seller automatically renews the subscription for another term and bills the consumer for it.

Consumers can take the following steps to protect themselves:

  • Actively review and validate all credit card and debit card transactions. Review your monthly statements very carefully.
  • Pay close attention to any "free" services you sign up for. Make sure to cancel before the free offer becomes a paid service. After you cancel, check your credit card statements to make sure you are not being charged.
  • Immediately dispute any unauthorized charges with your credit card company or bank.
  • Immediately dispute any unauthorized charges with the company that is charging them.
  • Keep good records.
  • Use only one credit card to sign up for services. This will make it easier to track all charges and look for unwanted grey charges.
  • If grey charges continue, ask your credit card company or bank to close the affected account and issue a new one.

Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file an online complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504- 6200.

Follow the Division of Consumer Affairs on Facebook , and check our online calendar of upcoming Consumer Outreach events.

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Last Modified: 3/16/2015 1:37 PM

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