Penalty Amount
$5,000,000
Connecticut Attorney General filed a $5 million stipulation judgment against Safe Home Security for repeated non-compliance with court-ordered consumer protection measures, including blocking contract terminations and misrepresenting terms. The judgment requires immediate payment of $1 million and suspends $4 million pending compliance, with an independent monitor for five years.
Safe Home Security must pay $1 million within ten months, with $4 million suspended based on compliance. The judgment imposes injunctive relief, requires hiring an independent monitor for five years, establishes a dedicated email for complaints, and mandates good faith efforts to resolve unresolved complaints with the Attorney General's office.
In-house legal teams should review all customer-facing agreements, particularly vendor contracts for security system installation/maintenance and direct-to-consumer service agreements. Focus on termination clauses that may unlawfully block cancellations or impose excessive fees, auto-renewal provisions lacking clear consent, warranties guaranteeing equipment functionality, and service level agreements defining response times. Representations about system reliability or installation quality in marketing materials must align with contractual guarantees. Amendments should ensure transparent cancellation processes, remove barriers to termination, and align all customer communications with contractual obligations to prevent deceptive practices.
Entity
Safe Home Security Inc.
Also known as: Safe Home Security
Industry
Technology$2.0M
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of four other states and the FTC sued Zillow and Redfin after Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to shut down its multifamily rental advertising business and transfer clients to Zillow. The settlement requires the companies to restore competition, with Redfin rebuilding its apartment advertising business, and pay $2 million to the coalition.
Attorney General William Tong sent a letter to the Connecticut Insurance Department urging rejection of double-digit rate increases sought by Anthem, ConnectiCare, and UnitedHealthcare for individual and small group health insurance plans covering about 220,000 people. The letter argues the rates exceed inflationary measures and criticizes the carriers for failing to control costs and for poor claims system management, particularly ConnectiCare's transition to Molina Healthcare.
$275K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $275,000 settlement with TaxAct, an online tax preparation company, over allegations that between January 2018 and December 2022, TaxAct improperly disclosed detailed customer financial information to Meta and Google through third-party tracking technologies without notifying taxpayers. The settlement requires TaxAct to pay $275,000 and implement new third-party tracking compliance measures, including a review committee, written policies, a tag monitoring system, and two independent third-party audits.
$4.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and the Federal Trade Commission announced a $4 million settlement with Manchester City Nissan (Chase Nissan LLC) resolving allegations that the dealership double-charged for 'certified pre-owned' vehicles and collected unauthorized junk fees. The settlement requires payment for consumer redress, prohibits misrepresentations, mandates clear disclosure of the maximum total price, and requires express informed consent for all charges.
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and DHS to block demands for the personal information of 17 million CDL drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data transfer.
Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 10 attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a new OCC rule that preempts state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on homeowners' mortgage escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC ignored federal court decisions and bypassed safeguards, and seeks to block the rule.