Court Orders Refund to Purchasers of Gas Grill Igniters

FDA Consumer, March, 2001

A U.S. District Court judge has ordered the maker and distributor of gas grill igniters marketed for pain relief to begin refunding approximately $82 to each purchaser of the fraudulent medical

Starting on Nov. 30, 2000, letters were mailed to more than 500,000 consumers who bought the device between May 4, 1995, and Dec. 22, 1997, indicating that they are entitled to receive their money back. Some 800,000 Stimulators were sold between 1994 and 1997. (See "Scheme to Sell Gas Grill Igniters for Pain Relief Backfires," July-August 2000 FDA Consumer.)

The device was manufactured and sold through Universal Management Services, owned by Paul M. Monea and his son, Paul Monea, of Akron, Ohio, and through Natural Choice, a distributor managed by Universal Management. Disappointed consumers began complaining to FDA that the Stimulator did not work in 1994.

Universal Management Services made the Stimulators by outfitting gas grill igniters with finger grips. Users were instructed to apply the tip of the Stimulator to so-called accupressure points on the body and press a plunger to send an electric current into the body. The companies also sold an accessory cord called the Xtender to help consumers reach hard-to-reach areas of the body, such as the spine. Ads claimed the Stimulator could relieve many kinds of pain, including migraine headaches, painful swollen joints, allergies, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The refund program is being administered by Gilardi & Co., 1116 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, CA 94131.