(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has sued the owner of a window company alleging that she accepted money from 89 consumers from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana for windows that were never delivered or poorly installed, and failed to provide refunds.
The lawsuit, filed recently in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, contends that Tara Curles, as operator of Window Planet Inc., violated the Consumer Sales Practices Act. Yost is seeking restitution on behalf of the consumers, who lost more than $187,000.
“This is not how to do business in Ohio, and my office is here to make sure of that,” Yost said. “Any company trying to pull a fast one on Ohio consumers will find itself in court real fast.”
Window Planet had maintained a storefront at 2866 E. Kemper Road in Cincinnati, but it is now closed.
An investigation by AG Yost’s Consumer Protection Section found that Window Planet:
- Required consumers to pay up to 50% as a down payment.
- Promised prompt delivery of windows but failed to meet the estimated time, or failed to deliver at all.
- Told consumers in some instances that windows had been ordered from the manufacturer but then failed to pay for them.
- Failed to complete its work in some instances, or did shoddy work that the company refused to correct.
- Refused to refund deposits or payments despite consumers’ requests for refunds.
- Told consumers that their purchases included warranties when they did not, and then failed to honor consumers’ warranty claims.
As part of the lawsuit, Yost is asking the court to fine Curles and Window Planet up to $25,000 for each violation of the Consumer Sales Protection Act and to order them to pay all damages to the impacted consumers. Additionally, Yost is seeking an injunction to prohibit Curles and her business from operating until all monetary obligations by the courts have been satisfied.
Consumers who suspect an unfair or deceptive sales practice should contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Hannah Hundley: 614-906-9113
-30-