Consumer Protection Laws (Scope)

"The Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act is Ohios statutory scheme governing unfair or deceptive consumer sales practices. ORC § 1345

Consumers are defined as people who engage in a consumer transaction with a supplier. A consumer transaction is defined as a sale, lease, assignment, award by chance, or other transfer of an item of goods, a service, a franchise, or an intangible, to an individual for purposes that are primarily personal, family, or household, or solicitation to supply any of these things. ORC § 1345.01

Unfair and deceptive acts or practices are detailed in ORC § 1345.02. "

Ohio courts have held that, for the purposes of the OCSPA, an ;individual; means a ;natural person.; Culbreath v. Golding Enters., L.L.C., 872 N.E.2d 284, 2007-Ohio-4278, 114 Ohio St. 3d 357, ¶ 26. Thus, business entities are not considered consumers even when they enter into a transaction with a supplier for purposes that are primarily personal. See Greer v. Finest Auto Wholesale, Inc., 2020-Ohio-3951, 156 N.E.3d 1005 (9th Dist.).