Attorney General's News Release

December 16, 2002

St. Louis piano dealer to pay $22,000 for running deceptive "going out of business" sale

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon announced today that his office has obtained a court order requiring a St. Louis piano dealer involved in a deceptive "going out of business" sale to pay $22,000 to the state. Nixon filed the assurance of voluntary compliance today with the St. Louis County Circuit Court following his investigation of The Piano Gallery Inc.; its owner, David Slan; and Larry McKinney, owner of the shop where the sale was held.

Nixon said McKinney advertised a going out of business sale at his store, The Piano Man Piano Shoppe, in October. The Piano Shoppe was located at 2121 Barrett Station Road in St. Louis. An investigation by the Attorney General's Office discovered that the inventory of the Piano Shoppe was limited, and that most of the items advertised in the sale came from the regular inventory of The Piano Gallery Inc.

"Missouri laws on going out of business sales not only require that notice of the sale be given to the Attorney General, but also that pre-sale inventory lists be provided as well," Nixon said. "This helps avoid situations where these sales are nothing but a pretext to move around inventory that hasn't sold. This going out of business sale was definitely out of tune with the law."

The terms of the court order require The Piano Gallery Inc. to pay $22,000 to the Missouri Merchandising Practices Revolving Fund, which is used to further consumer protection and education efforts. In addition, the defendants must offer any consumer who purchased a piano on the day of the sale (Oct. 3) the option to rescind the sale and obtain a refund.

The defendants also are required to bear any costs of removing or transporting the pianos of any consumers who rescind their purchases and must comply in the future with Missouri consumer protection laws on going out of business sales.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818