COLUMBUS ? Attorney General
Jim Petro today won court-ordered consumer restitution and payment of civil
penalties against the owners of three USA Baby stores for providing substandard
customer service and violating state consumer protection laws.

From
the Cleveland Plain Dealer April 20:

USA Baby stores have been ordered to pay restitution
to customers who never received items they paid for. Last fall, Ohio Attorney
General Jim Petro sued the companies that formerly operated USA Baby stores in
Westlake, Cuyahoga Falls, Sylvania and Powell, along with former owner Jim
Lankey. More than 120 consumers have complained to his office about the stores.
Ownership of the Westlake, Cuyahoga Falls and Sylvania stores has changed since
the suit was filed. The current owner, Midwest Baby, is not a party to the
lawsuit. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Ruth Ann Franks ruled Wednesday that
the stores accepted money from consumers even though the owner knew the
companies’ precarious financial situation made delivery unlikely. In addition to
ordering consumers to be repaid, Franks ordered the former owners to pay a
$400,000 fine. Consumers who believe they are entitled to refunds should contact
the Ohio attorney general’s office at 1-800-282-0515 or <a
href=”http://www.ag.state.oh.us” target=”NewWindow”>www.ag.state.oh.us.


From the Ohio Attorney General’s web
site:

Attorney General Jim
Petro Wins Restitution From Baby
Store
APRIL 19,
2006

COLUMBUS ? Attorney General Jim
Petro today won court-ordered consumer restitution and payment of civil
penalties against the owners of three USA Baby stores for providing substandard
customer service and violating state consumer protection
laws.

The order was
issued by Lucas County Court of Common Pleas Judge Ruth Ann Franks against Neo
Baby Inc., Sunshiny Day Inc., Baby Bucks Inc., and James Lankey, which operated
the USA Baby locations in Westlake, Cuyahoga Falls, Sylvania, and
Powell.

?These
companies sold products to consumers knowing that they would not be
delivered,? Petro said. ?It is particularly unconscionable to fleece
new parents and the young children they are providing
for.?

The court
found that the defendants accepted money for baby furniture and accessories
knowing that they were in a precarious financial position which could result in
the consumers not receiving their purchased goods. The Consumer Protection
Section of the Attorney General?s Office received 120 complaints about USA
Baby.

Judge Franks
ordered the defendants to pay restitution to consumers who made purchases at
these USA Baby stores but did not get their merchandise or a refund. She also
assessed $400,000 in civil penalties and ordered the defendants to cease doing
business until the penalties and restitution are
paid.

Consumers can file
complaints with Attorney General Jim Petro?s office online at
www.ag.state.oh.us or by calling 1-800-282-0515.