Thu Aug 19, 2004

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Ohio's attorney general sued Best Buy Co. Inc. on Thursday, charging, among other things, that the top U.S. electronics retailer deceived consumers by repackaging used goods and selling them as new.

The complaint seeks a civil penalty of $25,000 from Best Buy for each violation of the Consumer Sales Practices Act, Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Minneapolis-based Best Buy did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Petro said his office received "hundreds of consumer complaints" in the past few years, many of them charging that Best Buy repackaged used goods and sold them as new, failed to honor rebates, failed to honor refund and exchange programs or failed to honor extended service contracts.

"The sheer number of complaints coupled with the types of allegations my office received prompted us to file this lawsuit," he said.

Shares of Best Buy were down 7 cents at $47.75 in morning trade on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.