HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro said today he is suing a home warranty company that deceptively sold service contracts to seniors and hundreds of other consumers in Pennsylvania and throughout the country. The lawsuit against THS Group LLC, d/b/a Total Home Protection, seeks to get money back for consumers and stop the business and its officers from operating any other type of warranty scam in Pennsylvania.
Total Home Protection has a registered virtual office in Philadelphia and is operated by the father-son duo of Ronald Seruya and David Seruya. David Seruya’s brother, Charles, was sued last month by the Office of Attorney General for operating the car repair scam Delta Auto Protect.
To date, more than 80 consumers have filed complaints with the Office of Attorney General about Total Home Protection, and more than 680 consumers have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
With Total Home Protection, the defendants are alleged to have advertised and sold home warranty service contracts to many elderly or otherwise vulnerable customers in Pennsylvania and dozens of other states by:
- Falsely advertising coverage and services,
- Using creative and deceptive means to wrongfully deny covered claims,
- Failing to respond to consumer claims and inquiries, and
- Refusing to reimburse or refund consumers in accordance with the terms of their written guarantees.
“We believe Total Home Protection duped seniors and hundreds of other consumers from Pennsylvania and across the United States through misrepresentation and then by refusing to repair or place home mechanical systems and appliances, as promised, when they requested protection,” said AG Shapiro, who also thanked the Better Business Bureau for sharing additional consumer complaints with his Office. “We are seeking full restitution for consumers, civil penalties, and to stop this family from totally scamming consumers.”
The lawsuit claims THS and its officers profited from their misconduct while consumers were left to pay hundreds and thousands of dollars themselves to replace or repair items that should have been covered under the company’s service contracts.
In addition to legal actions against Total Home and Delta Auto Protect, the Office of Attorney General won a permanent injunction and a $420,193 judgment in January against the now defunct Secure Home Warranty LLC and its former officers Alan Maleh and Elliot Ashkenazie, and Maleh’s company First Choice Home Warranty LLC.
If anyone believes they’ve been a victim of Total Home Protection, they should file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
The lawsuit has been filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court by Deputy Attorney General Melissa L. Kaplan.
# # #