Feds fine companies for not disclosing energy use of appliances

Three online retailers will pay as much as $400,000 in penalties to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that they failed to post EnergyGuide information on their websites to tell people how much energy their appliances consume.

P.C. Richard & Son, Inc., and P.C. Richard & Son, LLC, doing businesses as (d/b/a) Pcrichard.com, of Farmingdale, N.Y.; Abt Electronics, Inc., d/b/a abt.com, of Glenview, Ill; and Pinnacle Marketing Group, Corp., d/b/a homeeverything.com, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; all signed agreements with the FTC.

The agency also notified the following two online merchants that it will seek $640,000 in fines for similar violations: Universal Computers and Electronics, Inc., d/b/a appliancebestbuys.com, of Jamaica, N.Y.; and Universal Appliances, Kitchens, and Baths, Inc., d/b/a universal-akb.com, of Studio City, Calif.