Today, the Bureau of Consumer Protection announced that it has filed a lawsuit against playground equipment suppliers Huntsman Farms LLC and Willowdale Creative Group LLC of Kennett Square, PA, and against William C. Huyler III, who manages both companies.
The Office of Attorney General alleges that Huyler and his businesses failed to deliver products to consumers or provide refunds for playground equipment and other products sold through their website. In May 2021, Huyler was sentenced for multiple counts of Theft by Deception, Forgery, and other crimes after the theft of almost $2 million from eight homeowner’s associations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. He is currently incarcerated.
Through huntsmanfarms.com, Huntsman Farms and Willowdale Creative sold various playground equipment and related installation services and products in Pennsylvania and at least thirteen other states. Consumers paid hundreds to thousands of dollars for products and services that were never delivered and then failed to respond to customers inquiring about their order’s status.
“Pennsylvanians who purchased playground equipment through Huyler were left hanging,” said AG Shapiro. “Parents and grandparents spent thousands of dollars on equipment for the children in their lives to enjoy outdoor fun and wound up with no equipment, no explanation, and no refund. Conducting business like this is unacceptable and illegal, and I’ll take action every time to ensure Pennsylvanians get their money back.”
The lawsuit requests a court order Huyler and his companies to:
- Pay restitution to all consumers who have suffered losses as a result of this bad conduct.
- Be permanently enjoined from doing business as a seller of goods or services in Pennsylvania or to Pennsylvania residents and businesses.
- Be permanently enjoined from any practices that violate Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.
- Pay civil penalties of $1,000 for each violation of the law and $3,000 for each violation involving a consumer 60 or older
Anyone who may have been victimized by Huyler, Huntsman Farms, or Willowdale Creative is urged to file a complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection. It can be done through its website, by phone at 1-800-441-2555, or by email at scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
