Settlements Resolve Violations of State’s Delivery Sales Ban and Consumer Protection Act

Contact: Charity R. Clark, Chief of Staff, 802-828-3171

Attorney General T.J. Donovan today announced that his office has reached settlements with eight different online sellers of electronic cigarettes for violations of Vermont’s Delivery Sales Ban and Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act. Under the settlements, the companies resolved claims that they sold electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, or other tobacco paraphernalia to individual consumers. As of July 1, 2019, it is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes and related “vaping” products over the internet to individual Vermont consumers. In total, the companies will pay $145,750 in civil penalties to the State of Vermont. Since December 2020, the Attorney General’s Office has reached settlements with twenty-one online sellers of electronic cigarettes, totaling $618,250 in civil penalties.

“My office will bring enforcement actions against any retailer who continues to ship vaping products to individual Vermonters,” said Attorney General Donovan. “The law is clear: it is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes and related ‘vaping’ products over the internet to individual Vermont consumers.”

Since 2008, Vermont’s Delivery Sales Ban law has prohibited cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, little cigars, or snuff, ordered or purchased by telephone, mail order, or through the internet, to be shipped to anyone in Vermont other than a licensed wholesaler dealer or retailer. This law was expanded in 2019 to include tobacco substitutes (including electronic cigarettes), substances containing nicotine or otherwise intended for use with a tobacco substitute, and tobacco paraphernalia. The Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery conducts compliance checks of online retailers to determine compliance with this law.

Under the terms of the settlement agreements, in addition to paying civil penalties, the companies are required to notify Vermont consumers that they do not ship to individual consumers in Vermont.

To make a tobacco enforcement-related complaint to the Attorney General’s Office, you may email your concerns to ago.tobaccoenforcement@vermont.gov.

Copies of the settlement agreements, along with specific penalty amounts, are available below:

Copies of the previous thirteen settlements, announced in August and May of 2021 and in December 2020, are linked here.

Last modified: November 23, 2021