AG Shapiro Sues Greater Philadelphia Comic Con Organizer Over Failing to Issue COVID-19 Cancellation Refunds

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced October 6 that he filed suit against Northampton County company Great Conventions LLC and its owner, Christopher Wertz, who allegedly violated consumer protection law when they cancelled the Great Philadelphia Comic Con and failed to issue refunds.

Wertz and Great Conventions organized The Great Philadelphia Comic Con to be held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.from April 3-5, 2020. After repeatedly rescheduling the event due to COVID-19 restrictions, defendants effectively cancelled the event in March 2021. Since then, Great Conventions LLC and Wertz have ignored multiple requests from ticket holders for refunds. They made no effort to either reschedule the convention or give consumers their money back.

“COVID-related cancellations can’t be an excuse for businesses to just walk away with consumers’ money,” said AG Shapiro. “I’ve been clear since the beginning of the pandemic — that sort of thing is just not acceptable. By filing this suit, we’re protecting consumers by ensuring they are not victims of a different kind of con.”

The lawsuit requests the court order defendants to, among other things:

Pay restitution to all people who have suffered losses as a result of the defendants’ conduct;
Be permanently enjoined from operating and/or selling tickets to conventions or other public events in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania;
Pay civil penalties of $1,000 for each violation of the Consumer Protection Law and $3,000 for each violation involving a consumer 60 or older.

Consumers who feel they were victimized by the Great Philadelphia Comic Con are encouraged to file a complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint or contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov.

The lawsuit was filed in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas by Deputy Attorney General Debra D. Warring.

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