For More Information Contact:
Bill Cosh 608/266-1221
MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that Wisconsin consumers who purchased consumer electronics from certain New York-based on-line companies may be eligible for refunds if they were injured by those companies’ illegal practices. The refund program is part of a settlement reached between the New York Attorney General’s Office and seven internet electronics dealers: Best Price Camera, Foto Connection, 1 Way Photo, 86th Street Photo, Broadway Photo, LLC., Camera Wiz and Sonic Photo. The companies used a variety of business names, which are available at the following link
http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/files/List-RelatedEntities.pdf.
The business practices resulting in the settlement include “bait-and-switch” (the substitution of higher-prices goods for those advertised at lower prices); using fake consumer testimonials; shipment of unordered merchandise; refusal to honor refund requests; and the imposition of undisclosed fees.
As a result of the settlement, the companies must pay a total of $665,000 in restitution and penalties. Injured consumers nationwide are eligible to apply for restitution, which is being administered by the New York Better Business Bureau. Claim forms must be post-marked by December 1, 2009. A claim form can be downloaded from the Better Business Bureau website, which is: http://www.newyork.bbb.org
Attorney General Van Hollen encourages all Wisconsin consumers who were victimized by any of these companies’ fraudulent practices to file claims for restitution.
