GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids toy seller has been ordered to halt operations after a 13 ON YOUR SIDE investigation prompted the Michigan Attorney General's Office to look into the matter.
Dozens of complaints have been filed against Grand Rapids-based Planetary Toys, LLC, which does business as Treasure Trove Toys.
Attorney General Dana Nessel moved forward with an investigation after 13 ON YOUR SIDE looked into the business in December and accused it of violating Michigan’s Consumer Protection Act.
On Wednesday, the Attorney General's Office told 13 ON YOUR SIDE it has issued an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance order against Treasure Trove Toys owner Jon Furdek.
The order revealed he operated similar businesses under multiple names in other states in the past.
Effective immediately, Furdek must cease and desist operations and will no longer be allowed to sell toys online for the next five years.
Furdek will also be required to reimburse all the money he took from people within the next 42 days, and must pay $1,000 to the state of Michigan for the cost of the investigation.
He must also resolve all complaints with the Better Business Bureau and the AG's office in this timeframe.
"I’m pleased to see this agreement reached without my office having to take additional legal action against Planetary Toys,” Nessel said. “I appreciate the work our partners at the BBB are doing to help affected customers. We will continue to advocate on behalf of Michigan consumers.”
Furdek signed and agreed to all of these action items.
The AG's office says he has 42 days (Feb. 21) to resolve these issues.
AG Nessel has provided tips for consumers to make sure no one falls victim to a scam.
BEFORE YOU BUY
- Research the product and the seller.
- Do an online image search of the product and any other images the seller has posted to see where the product is coming from, how much it really costs, and who else is selling it. Watch this video to learn how to do that.
- Compare prices for the same or similar products from other sellers.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
