HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that American Mint, LLC, a Mechanicsburg-based collectibles company, will pay $750,000 and overhaul its sales practices following a settlement over deceptive “negative option” marketing schemes that misled thousands of consumers into unwanted subscriptions.
The agreement, filed in Cumberland County Court as a consent decree, resolves allegations that American Mint violated Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law by automatically enrolling customers into ongoing purchase plans without their express consent.
According to the complaint, consumers who bought discounted or “free” items through mail or online ads were unknowingly signed up to receive additional, higher-priced merchandise unless they opted out. Many customers were billed for unwanted items, faced collection efforts, or found the cancellation process difficult to navigate.
Under the terms of the court-approved settlement, American Mint will pay $707,986.17 in restitution to affected consumers and $42,013.83 to cover investigation costs. The company is permanently prohibited from using negative option features without clear, conspicuous disclosures and must obtain explicit, informed consent from buyers before enrolling them in any recurring sales plan.
“Negative option features are a breach of state consumer laws as they are deceptive practices designed to enroll consumers into future purchases,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This settlement will make many consumers whole while requiring the company to change its practices and refrain from negative option features. When buying any products, be sure to read the terms and conditions thoroughly before committing to that purchase.”
The settlement also bars the company from sending accounts to debt collection agencies and requires it to discharge outstanding consumer debts. American Mint must ensure that all advertising clearly discloses product costs, shipping fees, and cancellation procedures.
The Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection encourages anyone who believes they were affected by American Mint’s practices to contact the agency at 717-787-3391 or by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
The settlement, approved on October 20, 2025, does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by the company but requires permanent compliance with Pennsylvania consumer protection laws.
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