Ohio Mulch to offer consumer rebate under settlement

Columbus-based Ohio Mulch Supply Inc. will pay $25,000 and offer consumers a rebate for one free bag of mulch under a settlement announced Wednesday by state Attorney General Mike DeWine.

The settlement resolves allegations that the company sold under-filled bags of mulch in spring 2014.

Between March and May, the Ohio Department of Agriculture tested random samples of Ohio Mulch bags labeled as containing 1.5 cubic feet, 2 cubic feet, or 3 cubic feet of mulch products but found that some of the bags did not contain the amount represented. Ohio Mulch attributed the shortages to a problem with its bagging machine.

Under the agreement, Ohio Mulch will issue rebate coupons for one free 2-cubic-foot bag of Ohio Mulch-manufactured mulch product for purchases made between May 1, 2015, and May 17, 2015, at Ohio Mulch retail stores or other third-party retailers. There is a limit of one bag per household.

The rebate coupons will be available on Ohio Mulch’s website from April 30, 2015, to May 17, 2015, and in print and online in the Dayton Daily News the weekends of May 2, May 9, and May 16, 2015.

In addition, Ohio Mulch will pay $25,000 to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to cover investigative costs and fund consumer protection efforts.

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