PROVIDENCE, R.I., July 26 (UPI) -- Rhode Island and Connecticut laws bar consumers from a Clorox rebate offer for a free bottle of Stain Booster and Color Booster, state officials said.
The Providence Journal reported Clorox spokesmen did not indicate why the rebate is barred in Rhode Island. State officials, however, said a 2006 addition to the state's deceptive practices laws affects how rebates may be offered.
Rhode Island and Connecticut shopkeepers cannot promote a manufacturer's rebate and subsequently advertise the item's price. If such occurs, the retailer must apply the rebate at the time of sale, saving the consumer the need to undergo the mail-in rebate process.
Jim Lee, head of the civil division of the Rhode Island Attorney General's office, said it is easy for manufacturers to offer mail-in rebates and still comply with Rhode Island law -- they need only refrain from advertising a discounted price.
"That's what other manufacturers do," he said. "They continue to offer mail-in rebates in the state."
Lee warned if other manufacturers choose to exclude Rhode Island consumers from mail-in rebate offers, such an action would deprive Rhode Islanders of the chance to save money.
