Press Release
Attorney General Taylor Obtains $110,000 Judgment Against RV Rental Company Accused of Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices
June 29, 2021
(Anchorage, AK) – Attorney General Treg Taylor announced that an Anchorage superior court judge imposed a $110,000 judgment against an Anchorage based RV rental company, Alaska Motor Home, Inc. (AMH) and its owners Peter and Cole Harkovitch. The judgment, which was entered pursuant to a settlement agreement, resolves a case in which the attorney general alleged that Alaska Motor Home engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices in its dealings with customers.
Attorney General Taylor said, "Alaska has a deserved reputation as an excellent tourist destination. This settlement sends a strong message that we will not allow unscrupulous companies to take advantage of tourists through unfair business practices."
The case against AMH addressed a wide variety of unfair and deceptive business practices such as:
- Concealing unconscionable terms and conditions until after customers paid for RV rental reservations;
- Requiring customers to pay for their own insurance after advertising that RV rentals included insurance;
- Advertising newer RV’s but providing older RVs that were in poor condition;
- Adding contractual penalties for posting negative reviews online;
- Offering gift cards to customers for positive reviews;
- Charging customers for damage to RVs that they did not cause and refusing to provide documentation of alleged damages;
- Canceling tourists’ RV reservations days or weeks before the reservation was scheduled to begin;
- Charging and collecting excessive taxes from customers; and
- Deceptively advertising normal RV rental prices as discounted rates.
In addition to the $110,000 payment, AMH will be placed under an injunction until at least December 31, 2023. The injunction prohibits AMH from continuing to engage in specified unfair trade practices.
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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.