Accomplishments of the Division – 2025

Our office alleges that AMS failed to timely apply for title in the consumer’s name after collecting fees to complete title work at least 226 times in 2022 and 2023. As a result, consumers were unable to legally drive vehicles they purchased. In addition, several consumers residing in emissions counties complained to our office that AMS sold them vehicles without valid emissions certificates, which they therefore cannot legally drive. In resolution of these allegations, the dealership has entered into a settlement that requires it to fully comply with the Fair Business Practices Act (FBPA) and to pay the state $15,000. Should the business violate any terms of the settlement, an additional $225,000 payment will immediately become due. 

Our office alleges that this automobile dealership violated the Fair Business Practices Act (FBPA) by representing that it would register and/or title purchasers’ vehicles and/or deliver them to consumers within a timely manner but consistently failed to do so; charging consumers for title work that it either did not complete or did not complete within the time frame required by law; representing to consumers residing in emissions-required counties that vehicles for sale in those counties had active emissions certificates when they did not; and selling vehicles to consumers residing in emissions-required counties without valid emissions certificates. The business has entered into a settlement with our office that requires it to fully comply with the FBPA and to pay the state $10,000. If the business defaults on any terms of the settlement, it will be required to pay an additional $125,000 to the state. 

Carvana, the biggest vehicle dealership in Georgia, allegedly violated the FBPA by failing to timely register and/or title consumers’ newly purchased vehicles. Our office further alleges that the business provided out-of-state temporary tags to consumers whose tags were expiring, representing to them that these out-of-state tags permitted consumers to continue to lawfully operate their vehicles, when, in fact, Georgia does not allow dealers to issue additional temporary permits. In resolution of these allegations, Carvana has agreed to bring its practices into compliance with the FBPA and to pay a civil penalty of $250,000.

After an extensive investigation into this dealership’s sales practices in 2021 and 2022, our office reached a settlement with the dealer in which it agreed to (1) sell vehicles at the prices at which they are advertised, regardless of whether those prices have been communicated to consumers prior to purchase; (2) ensure that all advertised prices include all mandatory non-government fees and/or charges that a consumer must pay as a condition of sale, including processing, dealer, service, and/or documentary fees, dealer options and/or accessories already installed on the vehicle, and electronic titling fees; (3) accurately represent the amount of money collected and remitted to the government for tag, title, and licensing purposes; and (4) ensure non-governmental fees are not misrepresented as governmental in nature. The dealership signed a settlement and paid a $35,000 civil penalty. Unfortunately, the dealership’s sales practices remained largely unchanged after the settlement, and the CPD continued to receive substantiated complaints, including two in 2024. The CPD’s 2025 investigation revealed that 68% of vehicles sold by the dealership were still being sold at a final price higher than the advertised price, in violation of the settlement. The CPD also found that 43% of sales contracts had a $199 administrative fee incorrectly listed as a government fee, also in violation of the settlement. Both new and used vehicles were subject to these practices. As a result of these findings, the company has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty and a $200,000 suspended penalty amount that becomes due in the event the business violates the terms of the agreement in the next two years.

Beauty Supply Institute (BSI) offers support services to beauty supply businesses, primarily through the sale of business opportunity agreements that it refers to as “store opening packages.” Depending on the package purchased, BSI agrees to provide assistance finding a location, training on how to run the store, and assistance obtaining supplies and stocking shelves with those supplies. 

Our office alleges that the companies violated the Sale of Business Opportunities Act and the Fair Business Practices Act by:

• Failing to provide mandatory refunds;
• Failing to provided mandatory disclosures;
• Failing to maintain an active surety bond;
• Collecting up-front payments that were greater than 15 percent of the total purchase price; and
• Failing to establish or maintain independent escrow accounts.

In resolution of these allegations, the companies and Robinson entered into a settlement with our office that permanently restrains and enjoins them from:

• Advertising, offering, selling, or engaging in the sale of any Business Opportunity in the state of Georgia;
• Disclosing, using, or benefitting from information collected from purchasers, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, other identifying information, or any data that enables access to a customer’s account, including credit card, bank account, or other financial account, that was obtained through Derobis Enterprises or BSI;
• Attempting to collect, sell, assign or otherwise transfer any right to collect payment from any purchaser who entered into a contract with Derobis Enterprises and/or BSI related to the sale of a Business Opportunity.

If the companies or Robinson default on any terms of the settlement, they shall be immediately required to pay civil penalties and refunds to purchasers in the amount of $2,189,255.

Through mail solicitations and its website, Annual LLC offered to help Georgia businesses submit required filings with the Secretary of State. Our office alleges that the business violated the FBPA by falsely representing that it was affiliated with the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State; misrepresenting that it was based in Georgia, when, in fact, the company operates in Florida; and failing to clearly and conspicuously include in its mailers, as required by law, language that states the mailer is a solicitation and not being sent by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. In resolution of these allegations, the company has entered into a settlement with our office, requiring it to comply with the FBPA, issue refunds to Georgia consumers and business that were deceived into purchasing the company’s services, and cease and refrain from offering Georgia businesses assistance relating to corporate filings, employment or labor posters/notices, or other records from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. In addition, the settlement provided for $100,000 in civil penalties, $13,335.00 of which was due immediately and the remaining $86,665.00 due if the company violated the terms of the settlement within a 2-year period.  In December 2025, our office notified Respondents that the Attorney General determined that they violated the agreement and that the suspended penalty was immediately due. 

Operating as “Georgia Business Compliance,” Fast Filing Services sends direct mail to Georgia businesses offering to assist in obtaining a Certificate of Existence and/or filing the business’s annual registration. The CPD alleges that the business violated the FBPA by misrepresenting the purpose of its solicitation and/or representing that it is affiliated with the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State; falsely representing that the price it charged for its service was a government fee; and failing to clearly and conspicuously include in its mailers, as required by law, language that states the mailer is a solicitation and not being sent by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

To resolve these issues, the business has agreed to enter into a settlement requiring it to comply with the FBPA, particularly as it relates to solicitations about corporate filings; clearly and conspicuously disclose the purpose and amount of all fees; and clearly and conspicuously disclose that businesses can file their annual registration directly with the Secretary of State for $50. The settlement also requires that Fast Filing Services pay $25,000 in penalties, with an additional $75,000 due if the company fails to fully comply with the terms of the settlement within one year of its execution. The business has informed the Consumer Protection Division that since receiving a letter about this matter from our office, it has refunded a total of $41,740 to 319 customers. 

Our office, along with the Federal Trade Commission  and 21 agencies from 18 states, shut down a deceptive charity fundraising scheme and its operators who are accused of keeping millions of dollars that were donated for breast cancer screenings. Kars and its operators solicited charitable donations nationwide on behalf of United Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (UBCF), a charity that claims to assist individuals affected by breast cancer. According to a complaint filed by the FTC and states, Kars claimed that vehicle donations would allow UBCF to “save lives” by providing free and low-cost breast cancer screenings. In reality, only $126,815 or 0.28 percent of the more than $45 million that Kars raised was used to provide those screenings, the complaint alleges. Georgia was the tenth largest donor state with a total of 1,992 donated cars valued at over $908,000.

Under a proposed settlement order reached with Georgia, the FTC and other state partners, Kars and its operators face restrictions on future fundraising activities and Irwin, Kars’ president and co-owner until 2022, will be permanently banned from fundraising.

Between 2017 to 2022, Kars raised more than $45.5 million on behalf of UBCF. The complaint alleges that $34.9 million of those funds went to pay Kars, its operators, and its vendors.

Kars, Irwin, and Frank knew or should have known that the breast cancer-related claims they drafted and made on behalf of UBCF were deceptive or lacked substantiation, the complaint alleges.

The proposed settlement order imposes restrictions on Kars, Irwin, and Frank, including:

• Permanently banning Irwin from fundraising or providing fundraising services to any person, directly or indirectly. He is also prohibited from making misrepresentations in connection with the marketing or sale of any product or service;
• Prohibiting Frank, Kars’ current president and sole owner, from making misrepresentations associated with fundraising, or in the marketing or sale of any other product or service;
• Prohibiting Kars, its employees, and anyone actively working for or engaged with the company from making misrepresentations associated with fundraising, or in the marketing or sale of any other product or service; and
• Requiring Kars and Frank to substantiate fundraising claims.

Kars, Irwin, and Frank also face a total monetary judgment of $3,882,091, which is partially suspended based on their inability to pay the full amount. If Kars, Frank, and Irwin are found to have lied to the FTC and state partners about their financial status, the full judgment will immediately become due.

Our office alleges that this company violated the FBPA by illegally operating a credit repair company. The business entered into a settlement with our office in which it has agreed, among other things, not to advertise, offer, sell, or engage in credit repair activities in the state of Georgia or to provide such services to Georgia residents—even if it moves its business to another state. The company also agrees not to advertise or act as a referral service to other credit repair organizations that claim to improve a person’s credit record, history or credit rating in the State of Georgia. The business is also required to pay a civil penalty of $15,000, $10,000 of which will be waived if the business has not violated any terms of the settlement within a two-year period. 

Bright View Acquisitions and Angelica Avila were engaged in consumer debt collection in and from Georgia. Our office alleges that the business engaged in  unlawful, unfair or deceptive acts or practices, in violation of the Fair Business Practices Act and/or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by  failing to make the required discloses in communications with consumers and failing to timely provide  the validation notice required by law, which explains the consumer's right to dispute the debt and that the debt will be presumed valid if not disputed within 30 days. The business entered into a settlement with our office requiring it to, among other things, refrain from engaging in debt collection in Georgia or with any Georgia consumer for five years and to pay $25,000 in penalties to the state. If within three years, the business fails to fully comply with the terms of the settlement, it must pay an additional $157,400.

Our office alleges that Harden Financial offered illegal credit repair services and illegal debt adjustment services. The company has entered into a settlement with our office in which it has agreed not to offer, sell or provide credit repair services in Georgia or to Georgia residents. In addition, the business must pay a civil penalty of $8,000, $6,925 of which will be waived if the business does not violate any terms of the settlement.

Our office has filed suit against Home Saver 911, LLC over allegations of unlawful and deceptive practices that misled consumers seeking foreclosure assistance into transferring ownership of their homes to the company. Home Saver 911 offered foreclosure assistance to consumers. As alleged in the complaint, the defendants use unfair and deceptive high-pressure sales practices to get consumers to sign documents enabling the company to fraudulently take title to consumers’ homes. For example, consumers were told by Home Saver representatives that they were taking out personal loans. These consumers were not informed that a transfer of title to their primary residence would accompany the loan. The business also failed to comply with the door-to-door sales provision of the Cooling Off Rule. This Rule provides cancellation rights to consumers. In view of these and other alleged violations of the Fair Business Practices Act, our office is seeking civil penalties, restitution for consumers, a court order to stop these practices, and other equitable relief.  In September, the Fulton Superior Court issued a Consent TRO, that remains in place, pursuant to which Defendants are enjoined from, among other things, entering into contracts with consumers, taking title to Georgia homes, and enforcing or attempting to enforce agreements such as promissory notes, deeds, and foreclosure assistance agreements.

Our office alleged that the business violated the FBPA by illegally providing credit repair services. The business misrepresented to consumers that it could improve a consumer’s credit history, record, and rating within 14 days without adequately disclosing that accurate, negative information may not be removed. The investigation found that the business charged upfront fees, offered tradelines, and accepted payment via digital wallet. The company entered into a settlement with our office in which it has agreed not to advertise, offer, sell, or engage in credit repair services. The business is also required to pay a civil penalty of $15,000, $10,000 of which will be waived if the business has not violated any terms of the settlement within a two-year monitoring period.

Our office has secured a court order that prohibits MV Realty from enforcing its 40-year listing agreements and property liens in Georgia. MV Realty is also prohibited from collecting payments associated with such agreements and ordered to refund all early termination fees to Georgia homeowners. This outcome, which stems from a lawsuit our office filed against MV Realty in January 2024, provides critical relief to more than 3,300 homeowners who were tricked into signing predatory contracts with the Florida-based real estate brokerage firm. 

This includes roughly 1,000 Georgians ages 60 and older. MV Realty promoted its deceptively branded “Homeowner Benefit Program” on websites, social media and through telemarketing as a way to “get cash without borrowing” and promised consumers that they could keep the small cash payment in exchange for agreeing to use the company’s services in the future. What was not made clear to consumers is that they are then locked into a 40-year agreement that will cost them or their heirs at least 3 percent of the value of the home 1) if it is sold without using MV Realty as their agent; 2) transferred to another person; or 3) goes into foreclosure before the 40 years are up. 

MV Realty enrolled more than 3,300 Georgians into a Homeowner Benefit Agreement for which the company recorded a memorandum in the real property records. This memorandum acts as a cloud or lien on the homeowner’s property to ensure collection of the 3 percent early termination fee and interferes with a consumer’s ability to sell or refinance their home or obtain a reverse mortgage.

On Aug. 28, 2025, the Court ordered that MV Realty is immediately and permanently enjoined and prohibited from taking the following actions in Georgia:

• Recovering or attempting to recover any commission, early termination fee or penalty relating to a Homeowner Benefit Agreement signed by a Georgia homeowner;
• Enforcing or attempting to enforce any Homeowner Benefit Agreement signed by a Georgia homeowner;
• Asserting or representing to any consumer, homeowner, title agent, real estate agent, closing attorney, lender, prospective purchaser, or in any legal action or arbitration proceeding involving a Georgia consumer who has signed a Homeowner Benefit Agreement, that MV Realty holds any enforceable property interest, lien, memorandum, or any other encumbrance or cloud on title to any Georgia consumer’s property;
• Filing or causing to be indexed a lis pendens against the home of any Georgia consumer who signed a Homeowner Benefit Agreement;
• Recording any Memorandum or any other document which provides public notice of a Homeowner Benefit Agreement or otherwise encumbers, restricts, or clouds title on any Georgia consumer’s property; and
• Selling, assigning, or in any way transferring any Georgia Homeowner Benefit Agreement held by MV Realty.

The Court further ordered that:

• MV Realty shall record, or cause to be recorded, unconditional terminations of all Memorandums they have recorded on any Georgia consumer’s property, at MV Realty’s sole cost and using the same form of termination used previously in Georgia by MV Realty.
• MV Realty shall record, or cause to be recorded, terminations of any lis pendens they have recorded in the real property record against the property of any Georgia consumer who signed a Homeowner Benefit Agreement.
• MV Realty shall dismiss all lawsuits they have pending against Georgia consumers.
• MV Realty shall cease advertising the Homeowner Benefit Program and MV Realty’s real estate services to Georgia consumers through their websites, via telephone calls, via emails, or via any other method.
• MV Realty shall pay restitution to all Georgia consumers who have paid an early termination fee in whole or in part, in the full amount of the early termination fee.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Consumer Protection Division received complaints from consumers that the Augusta, GA-based Smile Grocery gas station was overcharging for gas. The agency also received complaints about the gas prices that Vidalia, GA-based Fast Break II was charging consumers. Based on the findings of the CPD’s investigations into the two businesses, our office alleged that the businesses violated the Fair Business Practices Act by engaging in price gouging during a declared State of Emergency. In resolution of these allegations, the businesses have entered into settlements with our office in which they have agreed not to advertise, offer to sell, and/or sell any good or service identified by the Governor in a declaration of a state of emergency at a price higher than the price at which such goods or services were sold or offered for sale immediately prior to the declaration of the state of emergency unless such increase accurately reflects an increase in cost of the goods or services to the businesses or an increase in the cost of transporting the goods or services into the area. In addition, the companies are required to make payments to the state as follows: Smile Grocery must pay $10,000.00, and Fast Break II must pay $7,255.00.

American Disposal Service of Georgia provides waste disposal services to Georgia consumers. Consumers alleged that the business regularly failed to pick up trash on the scheduled dates yet continued to charge consumers for the service. Our office alleges that the business also misrepresented to consumers the cost of service by advertising prices without including all mandatory fees and/or not adequately disclosing all fees. In resolution of these alleged violations of the FBPA, the business entered into a settlement, which requires it to comply with the FBPA and to clearly and conspicuously disclose all material terms, conditions, fees, surcharges, and limitations related to the sale of its services to Georgia residential open market customers before the consumers make a decision to buy. Furthermore, the business must send a notice to each of its current Georgia residential open market customers who first entered into a service agreement prior to the filing of the settlement, advising the consumers of all fees and surcharges in addition to the base service rate and explaining that the consumers may cancel their existing contracts without incurring any cancellation fees or penalties. The business must then refund any fees or surcharges from consumers who complain that they were not notified of and/or did not agree to pay fees and surcharges in addition to the base service rate; and automatically issue credits, or refunds, where appropriate, including to consumers who are not continuing their service, to each Georgia residential open market customer whose trash collection is missed or delayed by at least one week and/or whose recycling collection is missed or delayed by at least two weeks. The settlement also requires that the business pay $125,000 in penalties, with an additional $50,000 penalty due if, within two years, the business fails to fully comply with the terms of the settlement. 

Enjoy Yourself Vacations offered event travel services. The company advertised and accepted advance payment for an event called “Essence Fest 2020,” which was scheduled to take place in New Orleans. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was cancelled and ultimately held virtually, meaning the pre-paid hotel and travel accommodations booked by Enjoy Yourself Vacations were no longer necessary. Nevertheless, the company failed to offer or provide refunds to consumers who paid to attend the event, even though the business’ owner, Ms. Whitley, received a refund for the hotel reservations she booked, never paid Essence Fest for the tickets, and failed to provide our office with any proof that she paid the excursion operator. In resolution of these allegations, Ms. Whitley signed a settlement in which she promised to comply with the FBPA in any future business and pay a civil penalty of $40,000.00, which can be waived if the company does not violate any terms of the settlement between the date of execution and July 31, 2026. The settlement also states that the business must pay restitution to consumers in the amount of $177,983.57.

Select Home Warranty, LLC (“Select”) is a New Jersey-based home warranty company. The Consumer Protection Division’s investigation revealed that Select misrepresents the nature of its home warranty service contracts and unfairly denies claims based upon fine print in contracts that was not adequately disclosed. Select represents that its service contracts provide comprehensive repair or replacement coverage for numerous home appliances and systems components, but in fact its contracts contain material terms and conditions that limit Select’s obligations under the contract. The CPD’s investigation also revealed various deceptive items on Select’s website, including spurious discounts, fake reviews, and the use of a “bad review blocker.” The company has entered into a settlement with our office in which it has agreed to injunctive terms ensuring that its representations concerning its contract provisions and website marketing are not deceptive. Select further agreed to provide up to $22,037.39 in restitution based on complaints CPD received through March 2025. In addition, the business must pay penalties in the amount of $20,000, with an additional $30,000 due if the business violates any terms of the settlement.

Our office was part of a $1 million multistate settlement with TFG Holding, Inc., an online clothing retailer that offers shoes, clothing, and accessories across several different brands, including JustFab, ShoeDazzle, and FabKids. The settlement resolves claims that the company deceptively marketed its VIP Membership Program to consumers and then made it difficult for consumers to cancel their memberships. 

TFG Holding, Inc. offers consumers discounted pricing if they enroll in the company’s VIP Membership Program. Once enrolled in the program, consumers are charged $49.95 a month, unless before the sixth day of each month, consumers make a purchase from the company or log into their membership accounts to “skip” the charge. The monthly charges accrue in the consumers’ accounts in the form of store credits, which can be used on future purchases. 

The settlement alleges that TFG Holding, Inc. violated state consumer protection laws in multiple ways, including by:

• Misrepresenting the price consumers could expect to pay for products advertised on the company’s websites;
• Automatically enrolling consumers, without their consent, into a Membership Program that included a recurring charge without consumers’ knowledge, consent, or authorization;
• Implementing and maintaining cancellation policies and practices that hindered consumers’ ability to cancel the VIP Membership Programs into which they were enrolled; and
• Failing to adequately disclose material facts to consumers, including that by purchasing products they will be enrolled in the VIP Membership Program.

Under the terms of the settlement, TFG Holding, Inc. is required to:

• Comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations, or rules;
• Clearly and conspicuously disclose the material terms of its VIP Membership Program, including but not limited to, the fact that consumers will be enrolled in the VIP Membership Program, the amount and frequency of all applicable recurring charges, and the consumers’ right to cancel;
• Refrain from representing its offers or sales of its products as time-sensitive, when they are not;
• Obtain the consumer’s express informed consent prior to enrolling any consumer in the VIP Membership Program;
• Provide a simple online mechanism for consumers to cancel their VIP Membership Program and promptly accept and process any request by a consumer to cancel their VIP Membership Program and stop the billing and collecting of payments for any recurring charge;
• Promptly honor consumer cancellation requests and cease any further billing;
• Provide all consumers the opportunity to request and obtain a refund of any recurring charge balance accrued within the preceding year; and
• Cease the billing of recurring charges to any consumer who enrolled in the VIP Membership Program prior to May 31, 2016, unless the consumer previously skipped a payment, redeemed a credit, received a refund, or made an additional purchase.

As part of the settlement, the company will also be required to:

• Provide automatic restitution to all consumers who enrolled in a VIP Membership Program prior to May 31, 2016, and only made an initial purchase but no subsequent purchases and never skipped a payment;
• Pay restitution to consumers who have an existing eligible complaint against the company that has not been resolved, and to consumers who file a new eligible written complaint with the company or the Attorney General’s office within 90 days of the Effective Date of the settlement that was not previously resolved; and
• Pay $1 million total to the jurisdictions involved in the investigation to cover the costs of investigation or to be used for future consumer protection purposes.