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OfficeMax Sued by Ohio Attorney General
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- State Attorney General Jim Petro today filed suit against OfficeMax Inc. for allegedly failing to honor rebates and failing to provide rainchecks when sale items were not in stock. "Stores that use rebates and sales to lure in consumers must honor what they advertise, or they are in violation of Ohio consumer laws," Petro said.Petro's announcement follows the Jan. 12 announcement by OfficeMax that the company has postponed release of its fourth-quarter and full year 2004 earnings reports amid an ongoing internal investigation into issues relating to potentially improper accounting for vendor income. The company also announced that its chief financial officer of two months, Brian Anderson, has resigned.Petro's office has received more than 100 complaints in the past two years about OfficeMax, which relocated its headquarters from Cleveland to Boise, Idaha, following the company's acquisition by Boise Cascade. Additionally, the Better Business Bureau has a similar history with the company, which has led to OfficeMax receiving an unsatisfactory rating, he said. OfficeMax often resolves the complaints when contacted by the Attorney General's Office on behalf of consumers. However, Petro emphasized that OfficeMax has failed to properly address and remedy this continued pattern of deceptive and unfair business practices in Ohio.The suit filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court asks that OfficeMax stop any further business practices that violate the Consumer Sales Practices Act; such as not honoring rebates, or providing rainchecks for customers who wanted to buy an advertised sale item no longer in stock. The suit also asks that OfficeMax pay damages to consumers who have not received rebates or were unable to purchase goods at advertised prices.Ohio consumers can file a complaint against OfficeMax with the Ohio Consumer Protection Section at www.ag.state.oh.us or by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 282-0515."