Howling Mad: Lawsuit Says Pet Store Tricked Client Into Leasing Puppy at 100 Percent Interest
A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a woman who claimed The Dog House misled her into a puppy lease agreement that was deceptive, unclear, confusing and had an interest rate of more than 100 percent.
January 23, 2019 at 05:50 PM
4 minute read
A woman who claims she went to a pet shop looking for a puppy but left with an unfair leasing agreement and a steep 100 percent interest rate has sued the store and two leasing companies.
Twenty-year-old Christina Diskin filed an amended lawsuit Tuesday in New London Superior Court, claiming the store misled her into purchasing Athena, a pug-beagle mix, last July. Diskin claimed the fair market value of the 13-week-old puppy was between $300 and $600, but said she ended up with a $3,789 lease agreement with the store, The Dog House.
Diskin, a Norwich resident, electronically signed documents, including a lease agreement, on the store's computer. Her 35-page lawsuit says the actions of the Manchester-based store are “immoral and unethical.”
“No one told the plaintiff she was signing a lease agreement,” her complaint claimed. “No one printed the documents or went over the terms, including the payments, interest rates. … The lease was emailed to her after the transaction.”
The lease, the lawsuit says, “is unclear, deceptive and confusing,” and Diskin says the more than 100 percent interest rate “is unconscionable and unjustifiable under any circumstances.” The lawsuit says The Dog House violated the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and the federal Consumer Leasing Act.
Scott Camassar, a partner with the North Stonington-based Law Firm of Stephen M. Reck and Scott D. Camassar, represents Diskin.
“My client is besides herself. She is embarrassed and upset that she is even in this position,” Camassar told the Connecticut Law Tribune Wednesday. “She feels she will not be able to afford the dog and might have to surrender her if she can't make payments.”
Diskin works at Mohegan Sun Casino as a cook.
“My main concern is to get her out of this bad deal, but we also want to raise awareness. We want this lawsuit to serve as a warning to other consumers so they do not get in this situation,” Camassar said. At a minimum, the attorney said, “they should have walked her through the key terms of the agreement and explained the exact arrangements. You can't just bury information in a document on a computer screen and expect people will understand it.”
Camassar continued: “What they did was disgusting, It's completely outrageous and unfair and deceptive. People should go to a pet store and not feel like they will get ripped off. It's supposed to be a happy occasion.”
Camassar said three states—New York, California and Nevada—prohibit pet leasing. A bill to do the same died last year in committee, but Camassar hopes lawmakers revisit the idea during the current legislative session.
“My client feels taken advantage of,” Camassar said.
The lawsuit seeks an undetermined amount of punitive damages and a declaration that the lease signed be void. It cites six counts: negligence against the pet store and the two leasing companies, My Pet Funding LLC and Monetery Financial Services LLC.
As of Wednesday afternoon, The Dog House had not assigned an attorney to the case. And the store's owner, Christopher Carty, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
My Pet Funding, based in Virginia, is represented by Wiggin & Dana counsel Matthew Brown, who did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Monetery Financial Services, based in Oceanside, California, is represented by Paul Mitchell of Buffalo, New York-based Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman. Mitchell declined to comment Wednesday.
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