AGO News Releases With Topic: Consumer Protection

Businesses, government, non-profits and others received misleading bills SEATTLE – Washington State University was blanketed this fall by invoices from a company called US-Telcom. A Sammamish Montessori School, a Seattle Jewish day school and a Spokane women’s health clinic all received similar legitimate-looking invoices from the company for as much as $425. But none of those receiving the bills had ever ordered services from US-Telecom.  

 Canceling subscription services sold by Oberon Media called “difficult by design”  SEATTLE — An agreement negotiated by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office means “game over” for a video game company’s practice of signing up customers under false pretenses for hard-to-cancel recurring charges. The Washington State Attorney General’s Office, which reached the agreement yesterday with Delaware-based Oberon Media, Inc., calls the company’s tactics “unfair and deceptive” under the state’s Consumer Protection Act.  

SEATTLE – An Everett auto dealership sued by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office for deceptive  advertising, along with other illegal business practices, says it will change its ways. In a deal reached today, the owner of Performance Kia and the former Performance Nissan will pay $150,000 in attorneys’ fees and penalties to resolve the lawsuit.  Performance Jeep-Eagle, the business that operated Performance Kia and the former Performance Nissan, is also on the hook for another $55,000 if the business practices – violations of the Consumer Protection Act and other state laws – continue.

SEATTLE - Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that he and 37 other Attorneys General reached a $90 million settlement with GlaxoSmithKline LLC (GSK) to resolve allegations that the company illegally promoted its diabetes drug, Avandia.

Whitney’s Auto Group and its affiliated dealerships investigated for “unfair and deceptive” tactics SEATTLE – A Washington State Attorney General’s Office investigation into Whitney’s Auto Group concluded Wednesday with an agreement halting consumer-unfriendly sales and marketing tactics.  

MyLife.com changes practices to resolve Attorney General’s investigation SEATTLE – “Go to MyLife.com, the Internet’s leading people search site, just type in your name and see if someone is searching for you – for free,” proclaimed a television advertisement for Los Angeles-based website MyLife.com. “It could be an old boyfriend,” an attractive young woman with a laptop wonders aloud. But unfortunately, according to documents filed today by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, there was nothing free about MyLife.com’s services.

Claim forms for one-time payments sent to thousands of state borrowers SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that claim forms are going out to approximately 34,000 Washington state borrowers who lost their home to foreclosure.

SEATTLE — The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) presented Tacoma attorney David W. Huey with the 2012 Angelo Petruss Award for Lawyers in Public Service. Named in honor of the late Angelo R. Petruss, a senior assistant attorney general who passed away during his term of service on the WSBA Board of Governors, this award is given to a lawyer in government service who has made a significant contribution to the legal profession, the justice system, and the public.

Cencom, Inc. said to use “vague and misleading offers to lure consumers” SEATTLE – A Kirkland, Washington-based business selling home alarm installation, repair and monitoring services nationwide will change marketing and billing practices criticized by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. 

Spokane Better Business Bureau discovered questionable practices at Physzique, alerted AG’s Office SPOKANE – A Liberty Lake health club will change business practices the State Attorney General’s Office says violate state consumer protection laws.