Pennsylvania Attorney General Sues Defunct Philly Salvage Company Over Unfinished Projects and Refused Refunds
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit against the owner of defunct Philadelphia Salvage Co., Christopher Stock, to recover millions of dollars in restitution for customers who were left with unfinished projects and refused refunds. The company, which specialized in restoring antique doors and other antiques, closed its doors two years ago after accumulating complaints from multiple customers.
According to the lawsuit, the company failed to perform work on several customer projects and then refused to refund deposits totaling over $20,000. Attorney General Dave Sunday filed the lawsuit in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Friday, stating that consumers paid for services to restore precious items, which must be honored under binding contracts.
The company was founded by Stock in 2011 and operated primarily as a salvage business, selling materials and offering custom furniture to businesses and homeowners. The owner's Instagram account, which amassed over 40,000 followers, showcased the company's unique finds and restoration projects.
However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company began delaying projects due to staffing issues, prompting multiple complaints from customers about poor communication and refused refunds for unfinished work. Investigators believe that there are many more customers who were harmed by Stock's business practices.
The lawsuit seeks a court order for restitution to be paid to affected customers, as well as bans on Stock owning or operating any future businesses in Pennsylvania. Civil penalties of $1,000 for each violation of the state's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law are also being sought.
Consumers who believe they suffered losses connected to Philadelphia Salvage Co. can file an online complaint with the attorney general's office.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit against the owner of defunct Philadelphia Salvage Co., Christopher Stock, to recover millions of dollars in restitution for customers who were left with unfinished projects and refused refunds. The company, which specialized in restoring antique doors and other antiques, closed its doors two years ago after accumulating complaints from multiple customers.
According to the lawsuit, the company failed to perform work on several customer projects and then refused to refund deposits totaling over $20,000. Attorney General Dave Sunday filed the lawsuit in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Friday, stating that consumers paid for services to restore precious items, which must be honored under binding contracts.
The company was founded by Stock in 2011 and operated primarily as a salvage business, selling materials and offering custom furniture to businesses and homeowners. The owner's Instagram account, which amassed over 40,000 followers, showcased the company's unique finds and restoration projects.
However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the company began delaying projects due to staffing issues, prompting multiple complaints from customers about poor communication and refused refunds for unfinished work. Investigators believe that there are many more customers who were harmed by Stock's business practices.
The lawsuit seeks a court order for restitution to be paid to affected customers, as well as bans on Stock owning or operating any future businesses in Pennsylvania. Civil penalties of $1,000 for each violation of the state's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law are also being sought.
Consumers who believe they suffered losses connected to Philadelphia Salvage Co. can file an online complaint with the attorney general's office.
u guys cant believe what's happening?! so there's this guy chris stock who runs a salvage company in philly and he just leaves all these ppl with unfinished projects and refuses refunds 
it's like, hello customer service! 
i'm not surprised though, i mean who doesn't love a good antique door restoration project?
anyone who's ever been scammed or stuck with unfinished work knows how frustrating that can be... i just hope justice is served in this case and those affected can get their money back 
, but this news about Philly Salvage Co is kinda blowing my mind 
! It's crazy that they just stopped taking jobs and refused refunds, leaving customers with nothing 
. And to think they had an Instagram account with 40k followers? That's like, a whole bunch of people who trusted them with their money 
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just got the tea from a source close to the AG's office... Apparently, Chris Stock was getting super salty about his business going down and he didn't want to leave Philly, so he basically left customers hanging 
. 20k is just the tip of the iceberg, bro - I've heard some major players are gonna have to cough up way more than that 
and yeah its super unfair that they got stiffed on refunds too 
And then, no refund? That's just not cool. The fact that the owner had this huge Instagram following and still managed to scam people out of thousands is just ridiculous 
. I'm so glad the AG stepped in and is fighting for these customers' rights. It's about time someone held Stock accountable for his shady business practices 
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. I mean, I'm not gonna say that Chris Stock is innocent or anything, but come on, a lawsuit is a pretty big deal for someone who used to be all about those antique restoration vibes 
. And now he's gonna have to pay restitution and face civil penalties... guess that's what happens when you try to screw over people 
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I'm not surprised to see another business owner getting taken down by the authorities. It just goes to show that some people don't care about doing things right or looking out for their customers' interests. I mean, who starts a business without having a plan in place for when things go wrong? 
. I'm so glad the AG is taking action, it's about time someone puts a stop to this kind of shady business practices 
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The fact that he was also running a successful Instagram account just adds insult to injury - he was basically advertising his shady business practices to the world. #ScammerExposed
It's like, you've got a customer paying for a service that you have no intention of delivering... how can that be legit? 
The state should be holding business owners accountable for their actions. In fact, it's a clear case of bad governance and lack of oversight. You'd think the government would crack down on these types of scams sooner rather than later. But I guess that's just the nature of the beast when it comes to consumer protection...