Practice and liability

Puffing

Exaggerated opinion in sales talk that a reasonable person would not take as fact

"The most charming house on the street", "a fantastic investment", "the best view in town". Puffing is opinion, and opinion is not actionable as misrepresentation — which is why the line matters so much in practice.

"A fantastic investment" and "values here always go up" edge from opinion into a prediction about financial outcomes. Predictions of appreciation are the puffing that most often turns into a complaint.

How the exam asks about it

It stops being harmless the moment it touches something verifiable. "Spacious" is puffing; "2,400 square feet" is a fact, and a wrong fact is misrepresentation regardless of how it was meant.

Related terms

MisrepresentationMaterial factErrors and omissions insurance

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