HARRISBURG – Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has filed a civil lawsuit against Celebration Studios, of Clifton, NJ, along with company owner Marc S. Schwartz, of Randolph, NJ, concerning wedding photos and related services which were not delivered to Pennsylvania consumers.
Additionally, Corbett said the Bureau of Consumer Protection has also asked the court to order the safeguarding of all wedding photographs and videos already in the possession of authorities, and to prevent any of those items from being returned to Celebration Studios or Mr. Schwartz. The Office of Attorney General is also seeking a complete list of all contracts for wedding services that involve consumers who used the Pennsylvania location.
“These pictures and videos are irreplaceable keepsakes for the brides, grooms and families involved in these weddings,” Corbett said. “Our primary goal is to recover and return these priceless photos to Pennsylvania consumers.”
Corbett said that Schwartz and Celebration Studios operated from a series of locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including an office at One Liberty Place, in Philadelphia. To date, the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has received complaints from more than 170 Pennsylvania consumers who paid in excess of $650,000 for wedding photos, albums or videos that they have not received.
Corbett said the consumer protection lawsuit filed today against Schwartz and Celebration Studios seeks recovery of the photos and videos, along with restitution for any products or services that were not delivered. The suit also seeks penalties of up to $1,000 per violation for each consumer for unfair trade practices, deceptive marketing and other violations of Pennsylvania’s Consumer Protection Law.
Corbett said the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is currently working with authorities in New Jersey to secure and return wedding photos, videos and albums to consumers. Many of those items are currently in the possession of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, which has also filed suit against Schwartz and Celebration Studios.
Corbett encouraged all consumers who dealt with Celebration Studios at its Philadelphia location to file a formal complaint with the Bureau of Consumer Protection if they contracted and paid for photos or other services that have not been provided.
Corbett said the Bureau of Consumer Protection has provided a full list of all consumer complaints filed with the Bureau to authorities in New Jersey, as part of efforts to distribute photos, albums, videos and other items currently being held by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
Corbett noted that this is an ongoing investigation, and encouraged all consumers who suffered losses as the result of the sudden closure of Celebration Studios to file formal complaints.
Consumer claims can be filed by calling the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline, at 1-800-441-2555, or submitting an online complaint using the Attorney General’s Web site (Highlight the “Complaints” button at the top left corner of the website and select “Consumer Complaints” from the menu that appears).
“The information we receive from consumers is an extremely important part of this process,” Corbett said. “It is important for consumers to come forward as quickly as possible so we can work to get these precious photos back into the hands of their rightful owners.”
The civil lawsuit against Marc Schwartz and Celebration Studios was filed today in Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas by Deputy Attorney General Dina I. Oddis of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.