PA AG Announces $48k Settlement With Williamsport Based Hearing Aid Business
1 min readHARRISBURG – Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced a $48,000 agreement with the owner of a Williamsport hearing aid business resolving consumer complaints about unfair and deceptive business practices.
Corbett said that the settlement, known as an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC), was reached with Russell Hollinger, the owner and operator of Microtone Hearing Instruments, which operated throughout Pennsylvania, and was based at 325 Clayton Ave., Williamsport.
According to the agreement, Microtone will pay $47,900, including more than $26,000 for restitution. Microtone will also notify customers that they can contact the Attorney General’s office if they feel that their rights have been violated.
The agreement also provides a 60-day open restitution period for consumers who have concerns about their business with Microtone. Online complaint forms are available in the “Complaints” section of the Attorney General’s website, www.attorneygeneral.gov, or consumers can call the Health Care Section Hotline at 877-888-4877.
The Attorney General’s Health Care Section’s investigation revealed that Microtone’s sales and financing paperwork did not meet the standards required by Pennsylvania consumer protection law.
Corbett said that specific concerns included:
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Selling hearing aids without obtaining a required medical referral or properly executed waivers
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Failing to provide consumer refunds within 30 days of returns
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Selling hearing aids without fully completing the receipt
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Not registering all fictitious business names, which could potentially confuse consumers.
The agreement was filed in Commonwealth Court by Deputy Attorney General Nicole VanOrder of the Attorney General’s Health Care Section.
