Phoenix, AZ – April 27, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a settlement today in a fraud lawsuit against My Sister’s Appliance LLC (MSA), Payless Appliance (Payless) and managers Pedram and Pooneh Azizi. The defendants sell used household appliances in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona. On April 14, 2015, the court approved a stipulated consent judgment that restricts the companies and managers from violating the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act (ACFA).
The state’s complaint alleged that the managers violated the ACFA by issuing deceptive advertisements; failing to disclose defects; delivering different and inferior appliances than those ordered; delivering defective appliances; refusing to allow returns and exchanges of defective appliances; and selling appliances that were improperly repaired.
Under the consent judgment, the defendants admitted to violations of the ACFA.
The consent judgment orders MSA, Payless, and the Azizis to revise all contracts and exchange policies to comply with the ACFA. Defendants are also ordered to pay the state up to $15,000 for consumer restitution, $30,000 in civil penalties, and $9,000 for attorneys’ fees and investigative costs. The civil penalty will be stayed if the defendants institute new policies, revise their standard forms and business practices to operate within the ACFA, and make full and timely payment of the restitution and attorneys’ fees.
“Business owners who rip off unsuspecting customers through deceptive advertising or the sale of defective products will be aggressively pursued by this office,” said Attorney General Brnovich. “If you’ve been the victim of unscrupulous business practices, my office wants to hear from you.”
If you believe you have been a victim of consumer fraud, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6504, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1 (800) 352-8431. Consumers can also file complaints online by visiting the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov.
This case is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Jordan Christensen. Members of the media may contact Kristen Keogh at (602) 542-8019 or Kristen.Keogh (at) azag (dot) gov
