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- Pending Government Action:Government Action: BBB reports on known government actions involving business’ marketplace conduct:State of Alaska v Soni, Inc.
The following describes a pending government action that has been formally brought by a government agency but has not yet been resolved. We are providing a summary of the governments allegations, which have not yet been proven.
On May 23, 2024, in the in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska First Judicial District at District at Ketchikan filed a lawsuit against Soni Inc. dba Soni Jewelers, Colors Fine Jewelers; and one of its corporate officers Sunita Lakhwani.
Soni Inc. sells Alaska-themed jewelry in Ketchikan under the names “Soni Jewelry” and “Colors Fine Jewelry.” Through a series of undercover purchases and subsequent laboratory testing, the State of Alaska has obtained significant evidence that Soni Inc. sells man-made “gold quartz” and “gold nuggets” it obtained from out-of-state suppliers as natural stones and nuggets that were mined in Alaska and manufactured into jewelry in Alaska by Soni Inc. Soni Inc.’s salespeople also misrepresented to undercover investigators that natural gold quartz only occurs in Alaska and can only be legally purchased in Alaska.
Soni Inc.’s salespeople repeatedly told undercover investigators that the “gold nuggets” were remarkably pure 24 karat gold. These “nuggets” were actually 14 karat imitations shaped to look like a natural gold nugget. The golden veins of the “gold quartz” were either low-purity alloys of roughly half gold or contained no gold at all.
People who believe they have purchased imitation jewelry that was misrepresented to them as authentic should file a complaint with the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit. More information and the complaint form can be found at the Consumer Protection Unit - File a Consumer Complaint.
The State has asked the Superior Court in Ketchikan to enter a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to prevent Soni Inc. from continuing to misrepresent its imitation jewelry. You can read the State’s Complaint and Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction through the links below.
Alaska v. Soni Inc., Complaint for Injunctive Relief, Civil Penalties, and Restitution
Alaska v. Soni Inc., State’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction
For more information, please contact State of Alaska Department of Law at 907-269-5100 or https://www.law.alaska.gov/.
Business Details
- Local BBB:
- BBB Great West + Pacific
- BBB File Opened:
- 12/3/2006
- Business Started:
- 1/1/1999
- Business Started Locally:
- 1/1/1999
- Type of Entity:
- Sole Proprietorship
- Business Management:
- Mr. Roger Lakhani, Owner
Additional Contact Information
- Principal Contacts
- Mr. Roger Lakhani, Owner
- Customer Contacts
- Mr. Roger Lakhani, Owner
- Fax numbers
- Primary Fax: (907) 247-7669
Additional Information
- Business Categories
- Jewelry Stores
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