LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Oct. 9 that Lamps Plus, Inc. and its affiliates will pay $4.1 million to settle a civil lawsuit that alleged the California corporation engaged in false advertising and unfair competition.
The complaint alleged Lamps Plus unlawfully advertised false sales and discounts, misleading price match guarantees and deceptive comparisons of its prices to competitors since at least March 2017.
LADA’s consumer protection division, in partnership with the consumer protection units of the district attorneys’ offices of Riverside, San Diego, and San Bernardino counties, investigated and prosecuted this matter. The case was filed in Riverside County Superior Court on Sept. 4.
Under the judgment, signed by Riverside County Superior Court Judge Carol Greene on Sept. 20, Lamps Plus is required to pay $3.8 million in civil penalties and $300,000 in investigative costs and cy pres restitution to support future enforcement of consumer protection laws. The company is also prohibited from false or misleading advertising. The judgment prohibits Lamps Plus from offering a 120% price protection policy, and from advertising any price match guarantee policy in a false or misleading manner.
Lamps Plus has not admitted wrongdoing and has cooperated with the investigation.