JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville councilman has filed a class action lawsuit against a local outdoor kitchen and hot tub company.
The News4JAX I-TEAM received several complaints from customers earlier this year accusing Premier Outdoor USA of bad business practices for faulty or missing equipment and incomplete kitchens.
The State Attorney’s Office told News4JAX it has received 39 complaints against the business.
The company is now operating under a different business name – the Outdoor Dream Company – at the same location on Phillips Highway.
Jacksonville Councilman Rory Diamond is leading the litigation efforts for wronged consumers.
“This is a Jacksonville company, so obviously, you know, we don’t like that out here,” Diamond said. “In my opinion, they’ve absolutely defrauded consumers, and it’s our job just to make them whole again.”
READ | Class complaint against Premiere Outdoor USA
Premier Outdoor USA and the owner Shaun Jackrel are being sued for violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Business Practices Act.
The state law prohibits practices of false advertising, bait-and-switch tactics, warranty misrepresentation, and other misleading actions.
Diamond said his client was a victim of all of the above. Receipts show she paid nearly $40,000 for a hot tub that never worked.
“She needed a medical swim spa for her own health. She ordered, paid $40,000 and it never worked properly. Could never get fixed. They refused to replace it,” Diamond said. “That’s just wild. You just don’t treat people like that. So, the purpose of this lawsuit is to make these consumers whole, to make sure that they get their swim spas fixed, or they get their money back.”
The lawsuit acknowledges that there are multiple serious complaints against the business.
The News4JAX I-TEAM investigation from April is also mentioned in the lawsuit. That’s when we met John Sierp who paid $18,000 for an outdoor kitchen that was never completed.
“Something needs to be done about Premier Outdoor on a grand scale because they just wronged so many people,” Sierp said in reaction to the class action lawsuit. “I’m happy that things are going forward against this man and against this company.”
Although the company has changed its name to Outdoor Dream Company, it also has poor online reviews.
Diamond filed the lawsuit on Monday and since then, he said he’s heard from dozens more customers.
“So, think about this. It’s a nationwide company, two dozen people just in the Jacksonville area,” Diamond said.
Diamond said the next step is to get the class action lawsuit certified. Once that happens, other customers of Premier Outdoor USA and Jackrel, who’s named individually in the lawsuit, will be able to file a claim.
The News4JAX I-TEAM has contacted Outdoor Dream Company for comment on this story but has yet to hear back.
If you’d like to have your name added to the class action lawsuit, contact the Douglas Law Firm by calling 800-705-5457 or emailing Rory@DHClawyers.com.