Other LanguagesSEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today filed a consumer protection lawsuit against janitorial services company National Maintenance Contractors. National took advantage of immigrants with limited English proficiency and promised them the independence of business ownership. Unfortunately, in reality, National locked its franchisees into contracts that often left them earning less than minimum wage, paying exorbitant fees, and with little ability to advocate for themselves.
СИЭТЛ — Генеральный прокурор Боб Фергюсон (Bob Ferguson) сегодня подал иск о защите прав потребителей против клининговой компании Нэшнл Мэйтенанс Контракторз (National Maintenance Contractors). Компания Нэшнл пользовалась услугами иммигрантов с ограниченным знанием английского языка и обещала им собственный независимый бизнес. К сожалению, в действительности компания Нэшнл предлагала своим франчайзи контракты, по которым они часто получали меньше минимальной заработной платы, платили завышенные взносы и практически не имели возможности защитить свои права.
SEATTLE. El Procurador General Bob Ferguson ha presentado hoy una demanda de protección al consumidor contra la empresa de servicios de limpieza National Maintenance Contractors. National se aprovechó de los inmigrantes con un dominio limitado del inglés y les prometió la independencia de ser dueño de su propio negocio. Lamentablemente, en realidad, National sometía a sus franquiciados a contratos que, a menudo, los permitían ganar menos del salario mínimo, pagando tarifas exorbitantes y con poca capacidad para defenderse.
Following trial in Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s lawsuit against CLA Estate Services, Inc. and CLA USA, Inc., a King County Superior Court judge ruled that the companies must pay a total of more than $6.1 million plus 12 percent annual interest to 1,100 Washington seniors for misleading them about estate planning and other deceptive conduct. The company must also pay $6.5 million in civil penalties, which by law will go to the state general fund. The court also ruled that CLA must pay the Attorney General’s Office more than $1.8 million in attorney’s costs and fees.
Continuing his Honest Fees Initiative, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that Bothell-based TV and broadband internet provider Wave will pay $900,000 to more than 23,000 customers who ordered the company’s services online. Wave failed to adequately disclose taxes and fees added to their bills, and did not clearly disclose its fees on some of its advertising.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that, as a result of his lawsuit, Seattle-based ticketing company Brown Paper Tickets must fully refund all consumers who purchased tickets to canceled events, and pay all money it owes to organizers of past events. An estimated 45,000 event organizers and ticket purchasers nationwide, and internationally, will receive a total of approximately $9 million from today’s resolution. The company is also required to pay the Attorney General’s Office $70,000 for attorney’s costs and fees.
OLYMPIA — The Washington state Senate today passed Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s bill to prohibit price gouging in Washington during an emergency by a 29-20 vote. The bill now heads to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced a judge ruled that StarKist, a canned tuna manufacturer, engaged in a price-fixing scheme from November 2011 through December 2013. In a prior and unrelated federal case against StarKist, a federal judge sentenced the company to pay a $100 million criminal fine — the maximum allowed by law — for its role in a nationwide conspiracy to manipulate the price of canned tuna to benefit the company and its executives.
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued a warning today that scammers posing as members of the Washington Medical Commission (WMC) are calling medical providers to claim the WMC suspended their license.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that LuLaRoe will pay $4.75 million to resolve Ferguson’s consumer protection lawsuit asserting that LuLaRoe, a California-based multi-level marketing business that sells leggings and other apparel to a network of independent retailers, was operating a pyramid scheme.