Veterans and service members who were duped by Harris Jewelry have a limited amount of time. Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, is issuing a final appeal for refund claims resulting from a settlement with the jewelry firm. As part of the July 2022 settlement negotiated by Attorney General James and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District ordered the reopening of the claims system, giving defrauded consumers until December 21st to seek their money back. The terms of the settlement require Harris Jewelry to pay back $12.8 million to an additional 40,000 customers and eliminate $21.3 million in debt for more than 13,000 individuals.
As Attorney General James told the Office of the New York State Attorney General, “Service members and veterans give up so much to serve our country, and they deserve to be honored and respected, not misled and defrauded.” He was steadfast in his pursuit of justice for the military community. She said, “I urge impacted New Yorkers to file a claim now to get their money back before the refund portal closes on December 21st.” Her office is still dedicated to protecting veterans and holding companies responsible for any businesses that prey on service members.
Customers who bought products from Harris Jewelry and paid for its Lifetime Jewelry and Watch Protection Plan are eligible for the returns. Those who haven’t filed a claim yet or who haven’t heard back regarding earlier claims ought to take immediate action. The urgency is evident since more than 30,000 customers are still eligible to receive a portion of the $8 million pool. Those who are having trouble submitting their claim can contact the Watertown Regional Office of the Attorney General at 315-523-6080.
The case’s story focuses on Harris Jewelry’s mistreatment of its military customers. The business offered a financing scheme to service members, promising to improve their credit scores. For jewelry of dubious quality, however, these service members were bound by crippling debt and outrageous interest rates. Their credit ratings were frequently damaged as a result of this. In a similar manner, Harris Jewelry overcharged, concealed hidden costs, and used claims of charity donations to Operation Troop Aid, Inc.
The conclusive settlement brokered by Attorney General James and the FTC, striking an accord across 18 states, demanded Harris Jewelry to halt collections of outstanding debts, refund afflicted service members, rectify marred credit scores, and disband its operations. Specifics of the settlement highlighted by theAttorney General’s statementinclude “Harris Jewelry stopped collecting $21,307,229 in outstanding debt held by 13,426 service members. 443 service members in New York got their debts of $756,644 forgiven. Additionally, Harris Jewelry negated judgments against 112 consumers, amounting to $115,335.64 and deleted any negative credit entries reported to consumer reporting agencies.
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