Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against William Shocinski, Jr. and several businesses he owns, including Meraki Metal Art LLC, VO Metal Center MN LLC, VO Metal Art LLC, and VO Metal Art MN LLC (collectively known as Shocinski Metals). The lawsuit accuses Shocinski of failing to deliver nearly $900,000 worth of products that consumers purchased and alleges multiple violations of Minnesota's consumer protection laws.
The lawsuit, filed in Hennepin County, claims that from August 2021 to December 2023, consumers ordered 28,793 products from Shocinski Metals. Of these orders, 12,484 products—amounting to $878,769.08—were not delivered. Additionally, many delivered items were damaged or incorrect. Despite this, the businesses reportedly refused refunds as a general practice.
Attorney General Ellison states that Shocinski Metals advertised a refund policy requiring a non-existent form for processing returns. Under oath, Shocinski admitted his practice was not to contest fraud reports made by consumers to their credit card companies instead of providing direct refunds.
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges false advertising regarding affiliations with youth charities. Shocinski’s websites claimed support for "Today’s Harbor for Children," a charity based in Texas with no connection to Minnesota or Shocinski Metals. The website also contained misrepresentations about where goods were manufactured.
Ellison's office is seeking court orders to halt sales by Shocinski and his companies and impose civil penalties along with restitution for affected consumers.
Attorney General Ellison encourages Minnesotans facing similar issues with online retailers to file complaints through the Attorney General’s Office via an online complaint form or by calling (651) 296-3353 (metro area) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota).