Epson in Court to Stop 2nd Amazon Seller From Posing as Authorized Dealer
Epson America went to court for at least the second time to block an Amazon third-party seller from allegedly masquerading as an authorized retailer by accepting orders for Epson home theater projectors it can’t fulfill. Consumers expect the Epson products…
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they order from the third-party seller, Edge AV Store, “will be fulfilled with the specific products they ordered,” said Epson’s complaint (in Pacer) Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. Most consumers receive no products or are shipped goods other than what they ordered “in a classic bait-and-switch scheme,” it said. Shoppers who are scammed are forced to seek refunds or credits through Amazon, which isn't named as a defendant. Edge AV Store “does not actually have in its inventory, and cannot actually obtain,” the Epson products it merchandises because the goods are “restricted SKUs” available only through authorized Epson resellers, “which Edge AV Store is not,” said the complaint. The merchant also “engages in the practice of falsely inflating its positive reviews in order to increase the legitimacy of its online storefront,” said Epson. The vendor took nearly identical legal action just before Christmas against another Amazon third-party seller, Stratton AV (see 2012230025). Both complaints allege the Amazon merchants are costing Epson legitimate sales because their online activities are giving the brand a bad name. The suits seek injunctive relief, plus punitive and compensatory damages. Attempts to reach Edge AV Store and Stratton AV for comment Thursday were unsuccessful. Amazon didn’t respond to questions.