Gansler
BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) - Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler announced on Thursday that a preliminary injunction has been ordered against a locksmith business alleged to have engaged in deceptive trade practices.
While an administrative hearing against Around the Clock Locksmith and its owner, Joseph M. Horton, is pending, the preliminary injunction was recently issued by Judge Michelle D. Jaklitsch of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County.
Around the Clock Locksmith and Horton allegedly failed to provide accurate estimates of the costs of their services. They also are accused of charging consumers' credit cards without informing them what the charges would be, pressuring consumers to sign documents by holding onto their personal documents and keys, and misrepresenting that they were affiliated with companies that they were not.
According to the court's order, Around The Clock Locksmith and Horton must provide estimates for all business and do the work for what was quoted or face contempt of court charges. A hearing on the charges is pending.
"I am pleased that the Court has ordered Around the Clock Locksmith to comply with the Order issued by my office," Gansler said. "Consumers should never be surprised by exorbitant fees after the service is completed."
The matter came to Gansler's attention when the Division received numerous complaints from customers who complained they were forced to pay high fees for locksmith services.