AG Yost sues Cincinnati business owners for misrepresenting refurbished products as new

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost this week announced a consumer protection lawsuit against a Cincinnati business and it owners for deceptively marketing refurbished Dyson products as new to consumers nationwide.

The lawsuit, filed in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, alleges that ZC Home LLC and its owners, Cincinnati residents Zheng Zhang and Zhilian Chen, purchased refurbished Dyson products and then resold them online — including through Walmart.com — while falsely advertising the products as new. ZC Home also operated under the business names EsolutionTech and Pro_Tech4u.

"Consumers paid for a top-of-the-line product but instead got a dusted-off version,” Yost said. “You can’t sweep this deception under the rug.”

Dyson makes vacuum cleaners and other household appliances. Refurbished products typically sell for 30-50% less than new ones. Yost’s office is aware of at least 3,300 consumers that likely unknowingly purchased a refurbished product under these false pretenses.

The lawsuit asks the court to order:

Restitution for consumers who purchased mislabeled products.

Civil penalties for violations of Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act.

An injunction to prevent the defendants from engaging in similar conduct in the future.

Consumers who believe they bought a refurbished Dyson product marketed as new from ZC Home or its owners are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.