Colorado Company That Sold More Than $4 Million In 'Experimental' COVID Masks Forced To Honor Refund Policy

(CBS4) - The Colorado Attorney General's Office announced a settlement agreement with Measure, Inc., this month which ensures the Colorado company will it honor its "100% satisfaction guarantee" to customers who purchased its UVMask product.

Measure, according to the AG's press release sent out late last week, began crowdfunding efforts on June 25, 2020, under the company name UM Systems through Kickstarter and Indiegogo accounts. The project acquired $4,194,731 through those sites from 34,065 backers by mid-October of last year. A total of 425 of those backers were Coloradans, the AG's Office stated, who pledged a combined $89,000.

Measure then changed its refund policy, limiting the terms. But it promised to honor its earlier policy to those customers who had paid for the product prior to the change in the refund policy.

The company, according to the AG's Office, did not.

In the settlement agreement, Measure will honor refunds to any of the 425 Coloradans who request one.

The company also paid a $100,000 fine. An additional $50,000 fine will be levied if the company fails to comply with the terms of the agreement.

Measure advertised the face mask as a dual-filtration system capable of filtering the air with particle-purifying LED lights in addition to the standard 'passive' fabric system. It claimed the LED device was ISO accredited.

The AG's Office said the company also claimed the product would eliminate 99 percent of airborne pathogens. In its press releease, the AG's Office referred the item as 'experimental.'

"Colorado consumers made vulnerable by the fear amid a global pandemic purchased an experimental mask product, believing it would keep them safe, in some cases investing hundreds of dollars," Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said. "This company neglected to honor its promises to consumers who wanted their money back. This settlement will ensure that the company fulfills its promise and customers who are unsatisfied with the product will have their money returned."

Measure, Inc., is shown to be in good standing with the state in the Secretary of State's online business registrations. The company has an office address in Greeley but no direct contact info. A Brighton company, Capitol Corporate Services, is shown as the primary agent on the business's registration.