The Department of Consumer Protection is referring to the Office of the Attorney General for enforcement a case against The Kirby Company, The Scott Fetzer Company, United Consumer Financial Services, and all Connecticut distributors of Kirby products, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell announced Monday.
“The Department of Consumer Protection is seeking a legal remedy and resolution that gives consumers adequate protection from the unfair sales practices of The Kirby Company and its affiliates, as alleged in consumer complaints in the past two years,” Farrell said. “We allege that the Kirby and Scott Fetzer Companies, along with their distributors in Connecticut, have engaged in aggressive, high pressure and even unethical sales tactics, including in-home sales calls where sales representatives refuse to leave consumers’ homes, phone calls to consumers in violation of the state’s Telemarketing Act, selling used vacuum cleaners as new, targeting and preying on older residents. We also have numerous claims of consumers’ carpets that have been damaged during a sales call. We believe it’s time for a clean sweep of their business policies and practices,” he said.
United Consumer Financial Services, a national sales finance company specializing in consumer retail installment sales contracts owned by the Scott Fetzer Company, allegedly failed to ensure that Kirby dealers and representatives complied with laws pertaining to home solicitation sales contracts, including giving customers notice of the three-day right to cancel their purchase contract, and returning the consumer’s copy of the original contract upon cancellation.
Farrell is asking the Attorney General’s Office to file a civil action against The Kirby Company, the Scott Fetzer Company, United Consumer Financial Services, and the following Connecticut distributors of Kirby products in order to protect consumers from the unfair, threatening and abusive business tactics alleged by consumers in their complaints.
· JMG Distribution, Inc., in Waterbury area
· RFR Enterprises, LLC, in Naugatuck area
· GP Industries of Norwich, Inc., in Taftville area
· SZ Enterprises, in Orange area
· K&M Distribution, in Rocky Hill area
· Golden Circle Distribution, Inc., in Southington area
· South Shore Distributing, in Rocky Hill area
