CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office has reached a settlement barring a Wisconsin-based home security system company from operating within the state due to its alleged use of fraudulent sales practices in violation of state law.
The lawsuit, filed in Cabell Circuit Court, stated Trio Alarm LLC and manager Tyler Ignatowski engaged in deceptive sales practices across the Mountain State despite being unlicensed to sell services in West Virginia. It alleges Trio Alarm employees went door-to-door selling home security systems and deceived consumers with high-pressure sales tactics.
“Companies that deceive consumers for financial gain cannot be allowed to continue such practices in West Virginia,” Morrisey said. “Consumers should never be pressured into a purchase with deceit and fraud.”
The settlement requires Trio Alarm and its owner pay $25,000. It also prohibits both from any future sales or marketing of security systems in West Virginia. The Attorney General’s actions also allowed more than 50 consumers across the state to terminate their contracts with Trio Alarm without a cancellation fee.
Employees targeted homes with signs or stickers indicating the residents were already protected by another company’s alarm system. Trio employees told consumers Trio Alarm had taken over their existing home security company, or claimed to install system upgrades on behalf of the homeowner’s existing provider.
Consumers then unknowingly entered into new contracts for home security and realized they had been defrauded upon receiving monthly statements from both their former provider and Trio. When consumers tried to rescind the new contract, the lawsuit alleges Trio Alarm told consumers they could not do so unless they paid a termination fee.
Cabell Circuit Court case number 15-c-383