| 
Attorney General Frosh Announces Settlement with AllStar Appliance Repair AllStar and Its Owner Must Make Refunds to Consumers; Can No Longer Take Advance Payment Before Repairs Are Complete BALTIMORE, MD (August 4, 2020) – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh announced today that his Consumer Protection Division entered into a settlement with AllStar Appliance Repairs, LLC and its owner, Eric Paul Solomon, to resolve allegations that the company engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices. The settlement requires AllStar to refund money to all consumers who paid for appliance repairs that were either not performed or that did not fix the appliance, and prohibits AllStar from taking payment for appliance repairs in the future unless they provide a successful repair. Charges against AllStar and Solomon were initially brought in May, and alleged that the company repeatedly collected advance payments from consumers for appliance repairs, often under the pretense of needing to order replacement parts, but then failed to return to repair the appliance after taking the money. The Attorney General also alleged that in other instances, after AllStar claimed to repair an appliance, consumers found that the appliance still did not work, and AllStar failed to return to complete the repair. AllStar was also charged with refusing to refund consumers' money when it failed to provide repairs and with falsely advertising that the company was named the best appliance repair company by Baltimore Magazine in 2014 and 2015. "It's illegal to take consumers' money and fail to provide the promised services in return," said Attorney General Frosh. "This settlement will provide refunds for consumers who should have received them long ago and prevent others from being harmed." Under the settlement, along with repaying all its customers for repairs that weren't completed, AllStar must pay a civil penalty of $100,000 and the investigatory costs of the Consumer Protection Division. The penalty may be reduced by $75,000 if AllStar pays restitution and otherwise fully complies with the settlement. The company can no longer take advance payments for appliance repairs and may not represent to consumers that it can provide a repair if it is unable or unwilling to do so. The settlement also prohibits AllStar from failing to show up for scheduled appointments with consumers and requires the company to respond to consumer inquiries promptly. If the company provides a service that is later found not to have fixed the appliance, the company must refund the consumer's payment. Attorney General Frosh suggested that while checking a company's website and its online reviews can be helpful, one of the best ways to find a trustworthy repair company is through recommendations from friends and neighbors who have had good experiences with the company in the past. Consumers with questions about this settlement may call the Consumer Protection hotline at 410-528-8662 or 888-743-0023. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment