A federal court has mandated Harris Jewelry to reactivate its claims process and inform consumers, primarily active duty servicemembers, about the opportunity to submit refund claims. This decision comes after Harris Jewelry was found to have violated a previous settlement agreement with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, 17 other states, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by closing the claims portal prematurely. Eligible service members and veterans are advised to file their claims online for refunds by December 21st.
Attorney General Murrill urges consumers who purchased items from Harris Jewelry and paid for a Lifetime Jewelry and Watch Protection Plan to request refunds through Harris's website if they haven't filed a claim yet or haven't received feedback on a previously filed claim.
In July 2022, actions were taken by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, alongside 17 other states and the FTC, against the national jewelry retailer for illegal financing and sales practices targeting military families. The complaint highlighted that Harris Jewelry falsely claimed that financing purchases through them would improve servicemembers' credit scores. They also misrepresented protection plans as mandatory or added them without consumer consent. The company allegedly breached several financial consumer protection laws, including the Military Lending Act.
According to a stipulated order involving the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the multistate group, and the FTC, Harris was instructed to cease collecting millions in debt, provide refunds for purchased protection plans potentially amounting to $10.9 million, issue overpayment refunds, and assist in removing negative credit entries related to debt from consumers’ credit reports. Furthermore, Harris is required to complete its operational shutdown and dissolve according to state laws once it fulfills these obligations.
The court's recent action responds to requests from the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office, the multistate group, and the FTC. It aims at ensuring consumers have adequate time to file refund claims following the 2022 settlement.