AG Lynch secures $28,000.00 for consumers wronged by North Providence retailer

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch announced that a Superior Court judge today ordered a North Providence-based kitchen cabinet and accessory retailer to pay $28,000 to several customers who had prepaid him for high-end kitchen cabinets that he never delivered.

Lynch's office moved quickly upon learning that Right@Home, a company run by Richard Mooradian and located at 975 Charles St., advertised that an auction of the company's inventory could take place as soon as tonight.

Lynch's office filed a complaint in Providence County Superior Court that was resolved through an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), effectively resolving the consumer complaints that had been filed with Lynch's Consumer Protection Unit. The complaints alleged that Mooradian had violated Rhode Island's Deceptive Trade Practices Act by taking customer's money for the cabinets even though he knew his manufactuer would not ship them because he had defaulted on past amounts owed. Superior Court judge Jeffery A. Lanphear granted the State's motion to approve the AVC this morning in Providence Superior Court. Pursuant to the AVC, all proceeds from the auction will be turned over to the Attorney General for disbursement to the harmed customers. If the auction fails to raise $28,000, Mooradian has until Aug. 5 to deliver the balance of the money to Lynch's office for reimbursement to the customers.

"Twenty-eight thousand dollars might not seem like a lot of money, but the principle we stood up for is a big one: businesses should honor their commitments to their customers," Lynch said. "The court's decision is a victory for the consumers who paid hard-earned money up front to Right @ Home, and who could possibly have lost it all if the defendant liquidated his business and filed for bankruptcy. I am proud of the work our Consumer Protection Unit did to make certain these Rhode Islanders were treated fairly and will be compensated."

Lynch's office received seven formal complaints from consumers saying that they had prepaid Right @ Home a combined sum of $28,000 for kitchen cabinets, accessories, materials and services that the company did not deliver. Further investigation revealed that Mooradian had outstanding debts to the cabinet manufacturer, and therefore could not acquire the cabinets for which he had already been paid.

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AG Lynch warns RI consumers to beware of scams offering help with flood damage

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch today warned Rhode Island residents to avoid falling prey to scam artists seeking to profit from the devastation wreaked by this week’s historic flooding...

• Read More: Attorney General Advisory 3/31/2010
• For more information from The State of Rhode Island, please visit www.floodrecovery.ri.gov.
• For information regarding federal assistance, please visit www.disasterassistance.gov.

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