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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — The Federal Trade Commission and Utah Division of Consumer Protection filed a temporary restraining order against a Utah-based real estate seminar business, endorsed by HGTV stars, according to court documents.
The complaint alleged Zurixx LLC’s “free event” is actually a sales presentation for its three-day workshops that cost just under $2,000.
The court put temporary restrictions on the company but has not stopped operations and ordered the company’s assets be preserved but not frozen. The complaint also claimed Zurixx falsely represented that those attending the workshop “will likely earn consumers thousands of dollars in profit.”
The company has touted its business partnership with HGTV "Flip or Flop" stars Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead. The two have endorsed the company’s seminars in the past but are not named as parties in the complaint.
KSL reached out to Zurixx LLC Chief Operations Officer Andrew Way, who said in part, “We are aware of the formal inquiry by the FTC and the State of Utah, and anticipate a positive outcome as we work directly and openly with the agencies involved.”
Zurixx is a company that has received some prestigious recognitions in the past.
Just last year, Utahbusiness.com named CEO and founder Jim Carlson “Medium Company CEO” of the year. KSL has also previously reported on Zurixx.
When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, the company evacuated employees and their families based there. They even fronted all the costs to find housing in Utah until things could settle.
Going forward, the court has named a monitor to the company and asked Zurixx to preserve its assets and not spend more than $25,000 without the monitor’s approval.
Way’s full statement is included below:
“Contrary to some media reports, the FTC has not required Zurixx to stop our business operations. Also contrary to some media reports, Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead have not been named as parties in the complaint filed against Zurixx, LLC by the FTC. We are disappointed in the false reporting saying otherwise and our attorneys are in contact with the entities responsible. Zurixx has always been, and will remain, a positive, compliant and student-focused business in the marketing, selling and delivering of our education products. We have many hundreds, if not thousands, of very satisfied students who’ve used our education products productively. We are aware of the formal inquiry by the FTC and the State of Utah and anticipate a positive outcome as we work directly and openly with the agencies involved.” — Zurixx, LLC.
The FTC and Utah Division of Consumer Protection’s complaint can be seen here.
