Oregon committee hears testimony on bill to require all‑in online prices, debates private right of action

Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a state senator representing Senate District 4, told the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection on May 13 that Senate Bill 430A would ensure online shoppers “actually know what they're gonna be paying when they actually confirm that they're ready to buy.”

The bill, as explained to the committee, would require a person who offers or sells goods or services online to an Oregon resident to include in advertised prices all fees or charges a purchaser must pay to complete a transaction, with narrow exceptions for taxes or fees a government body imposes and reasonable shipping or service charges a seller actually incurs. An A‑7 amendment would allow a service fee calculated by distance or purchaser selections to be disclosed later in the checkout process, but only if “the person must disclose the service fee prominently before the purchaser agrees to pay.”

The bill’s proponents told the committee the change is intended to stop the practice sometimes described as “drip charging” — where additional fees appear late in the checkout process — and to bring online advertising in line with what consumers actually pay. Sen. Prozanski recounted a personal example of buying tickets online, where fees added after confirmation raised the price from $8 to $18 for what had been advertised as a lower total. “They were doing that,” he said, “and I checked in with the Department of Justice; they told…