Other LanguagesWashington Attorney General’s Office reaches settlement with online seller
SEATTLE – Consumers who purchased massage chairs, bath tubs and range hoods from a Bellevue-based company were left waiting … and waiting … for their simulated shiatsu, soaks and steam ventilation, said the Washington Attorney General’s Office.
Attorneys with the office’s Consumer Protection High-Tech Unit reached a settlement today with Sole, Inc., and owner Kyungok Nam, also known as Remy Nam. Sole sells just about everything for your home – including the kitchen sink – on websites such as www.TheFactoryOutlet.com, www.MyBidets.com, www.RangehoodsMall.com, www.GoodChairs.com and www.MagicJohn.com.
The Attorney General’s Office accused Sole and Ms. Nam of violating Washington’s Consumer Protection Act by repeatedly failing to deliver merchandise bought by consumers and shipping items much later than promised. Although the company says that it will repair products, many consumers complained that the company offered no such help.
In a number of instances, customers were able to convince their credit card providers to reverse the charges. For everyone else, the settlement requires the company to pay up.
Specifically, Sole will provide approximately $23,300 in refunds to 19 consumers throughout the nation who said they never received their orders. They include an Eastern Washington resident who paid more than $2,000 for a massage chair in November 2009. More than nine months and eight calls later, Nam reportedly told him the chair had finally arrived by boat from China. But the chair never made it to the customer’s Liberty Lake home.
The defendants must also refund any additional consumers who file complaints with the Attorney General’s Office, another agency or the business about undelivered goods.
The defendants will also pay more than $14,700 to reimburse the state for attorneys’ fees and legal costs. The settlement forbids them from charging consumers’ credit cards for orders before the merchandise is delivered, misrepresenting delivery dates and failing to respond to consumer inquiries within 48 hours.
Senior Counsel Paula Selis led the case for Washington.
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Media Contact: Kristin Alexander, Media Relations Manager – Seattle, (206) 464-6432