Attorney General James Issues Warning to LabQ Diagnostics to Stop Misrepresenting Turnaround Times for COVID-19 Test Results

 

Consumers Complaining of Waiting More Than 96 Hours for COVID-19 Test Results Despite Lab’s Promise of 48-Hour Turnaround

  New York Attorney General Letitia James, late yesterday, issued a warning letter to LabQ Diagnostics, a Brooklyn-based laboratory with dozens of mobile locations across New York City, after learning that some consumers have been waiting over 96 hours for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test results, even though the company advertises that consumers can expect results within 48 hours. The letter notifies LabQ that New York law prohibits false advertising and instructs the company to immediately update its signage at testing sites and on the company’s website to accurately reflect how long individuals can expect to wait before receiving COVID-19 test results.

“With the Omicron wave hitting in the middle of the holiday season, New Yorkers need timely COVID-19 test results more than ever to make decisions about whether they can safely travel or gather with loved ones,” said Attorney General James. “LabQ’s own website states, ‘Turnaround Time Matters,’ but so does being honest with consumers. LabQ and all other labs should ensure that they are giving consumers accurate information about when to expect test results. Consumers need to have the proper information so they can decide whether to take a rapid or PCR test, as well as to make informed decisions when choosing a testing provider that can meet their needs.”

In addition to warning LabQ to update its website and signage and to instruct its employees to provide accurate information concerning turnaround times, the letter issued by Attorney General James requests that LabQ contact all of its customers who are currently awaiting COVID-19 test results to let them know when they can realistically expect to receive those results.

Attorney General James asks any consumer who believes a lab or other testing facility is making misleading statements about their turnaround time for COVID-19 test results to file a complaint online with the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau or call the office at 1-800-771-7755.