James: Consumers getting payback after online scheme
New York State Attorney General Letitia James called a judge's ruling ordering a business to pay restitution to online shoppers "a big win for consumers." Credit: JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
It’s game over and time to pay up for an online merchant who sold New Yorkers and other consumers high-end consumer goods like gaming consoles but never delivered the merchandise, according to the state Attorney General's office.
A New York County Supreme Court judge ruled that Prestigious Marketing Concepts, Inc must pay full restitution to all the consumers who were defrauded, said a news release Tuesday, in which Attorney General Letitia James described the ruling as "a big win for consumers."
The judge's order also upheld a freeze on the bank accounts of the company’s owner, Tandria Faulkner, and her businesses, and stops her from taking further orders for items she does not possess, according to the release.
James said online shoppers "were gamed out of Xboxes, PlayStations, and other high-end products they paid for but never received. Defrauding consumers for personal gain is unconscionable and will not be tolerated by my office.”
In January 2021, James' office launched an investigation into New Jersey-based Prestigious Marketing and Sonjia Posh Boutique, both owned by Faulkner, after complaints from consumers over the missing purchases. Consumers reported paying full price, or even above retail price, for the products, the release said.
James filed a lawsuit against Faulkner in December 2021 alleging the business owner failed to deliver the goods as promised before the 2020 holidays. The lawsuit alleged that Faulkner accepted hundreds of orders for hard-to-find gaming systems in the fall of 2020. When the deliveries failed to arrive, many consumers were given shifting excuses and never received refunds.The lawsuit alleged that consumers paid Faulkner more than $500,000 in connection with the scheme, according to the release.
Any consumer who placed an order with Prestigious Marketing, Sonjia Posh Boutique, Tandria Faulkner, or any representative of the three, and never received their requested item or a refund, is asked to file a complaint online with the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau or call the office at 1-800-771-7755
