Fly-by-night toy store

In December of 2008 I purchased a remote-controlled boat ($43.00) as a Christmas gift for a nephew from a toy store (Kid Zone) located in Westfield Santa Anita, a shopping mall in the city of Arcadia, Ca. After Christmas my nephew returned the boat to me saying he could not get the boat to operate. My attempts to make it work were also in vain. I was upset when I looked at the receipt and it read: "ALL SALES FINAL", "NO REFUNDS", "NO EXCHANGES". Nonetheless I went back to Kid Zone with the boat but found the store was vacated. I contacted Mary Romanofski, Specialty Leasing Manager of Westfield Santa Anita (Mromanofski AT westfield.com) and told me there was nothing she could do for me. I wanted a voucher of equal value to my purchase to use at another toy store located at Westfield Santa Anita.

I believe that Kid Zone was an outfit that obtained defective merchandise to sell to consumers during the brief Christmas shopping season and then quickly disappear. The management of WSA must screen applicants for temporary leasing arrangements instead of merely accepting a down payment to open business.

Finally, WSA must offer compensation to retailers who were exploited by Kid Zone.

Sincerely,

Fred Forbush