An Arizona company has been ordered to refund consumers who request reimbursement and pay $10,000 in penalties and fees for deceiving Kansans into purchasing household products under the guise that the company’s proceeds went to support a charitable purpose, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.
American Handicapped and Disadvantaged Workers Inc., of Phoenix, and its president and CEO Adli Najib Dasuqi of Waterford, Mich., admitted to calling Kansas consumers and attempting to sell them various household goods, including light bulbs, trash bags, kitchen scissors and cleaning products. The telemarketers falsely exaggerated the nature of the business, misleading consumers to believe the company was a charity or had a charitable purpose. The prices the company charged for these products grossly exceeded the market price for similar products.
Under terms of a consent judgment approved by the Shawnee County District Court, the company also agreed to refund Kansas consumers who request refunds and will not collect on any monies still owed by Kansas consumers. Any Kansan who may have done business with the company should file a complaint with the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division online at www.InYourCornerKansas.org or by calling 800-432-2310.
Schmidt also advised consumers who wish to support a charity to do their homework before giving.
“Make decisions about what charities to support on your own schedule instead of responding to a telephone solicitor,” Schmidt said. “If you do get a call that sounds like something you are interested in supporting, ask the caller to mail you information in writing so you can check out the charity before giving. Never be pressured into making a contribution over the phone.”
For more safe giving tips, visit the attorney general’s consumer protection website at www.InYourCornerKansas.org. A copy of the consent judgment is available here: http://1.usa.gov/1PxhJd4 .