Home improvement retailer Menards will pay $4.25 million and make changes to its rebate programs to settle allegations of deceptive marketing, according to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Raoul was part of a coalition of attorneys general investigating the national chain’s sales practices. They argued Menards’ 11% Rebate Program “falsely implied a point-of purchase discount” for what actually was credit for future purchases. Although the terms were explained in the fine print, Raoul said, they were not appropriately disclosed.
In addition, the coalition claimed Menards engaged in price gouging in early 2020 by raising prices on pandemic-related items such as isopropyl alcohol and neoprene gloves…