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Servicemembers Urged to Claim Refunds in $34M Harris Jewelry Settlement

They’re facing an April 15 deadline.

Published

1 year ago

March 1, 2023

INSTORE Staff

State attorneys general are urging those who lost money to Harris Jewelry to recover their funds before an April 15 deadline.

Harris agreed in July to a $34.2 million settlement to resolve allegations that it targeted and defrauded military servicemembers and veterans.

The settlement with the now-defunct national retailer was reached by 18 state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission. The AGs are now urging those affected not to miss out on getting their money, Military.com reports.

“Due to a court settlement, many Harris Jewelry consumers from 2014 to present are likely eligible for a refund of some money,” the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office said in a statement, according to Military.com.

Of 47,000 consumers who are owed money, fewer than 11,000 have filed claims so far, according to the New York Attorney General’s Office.

A message at the Harris Jewelry website states, in part: “You may be able to get a full refund of the amount you paid for a Lifetime Jewelry and Watch Protection Plan. Additionally, if you currently have an outstanding debt to Harris/CACUSA, you don’t have to make any more payments. Your account balance is now $0.” CACUSA refers to finance company Consumer Adjustment Corp.

The settlement required Harris to stop collecting $21.3 million in outstanding debt held by 13,426 servicemembers and to provide $12.9 million in refunds to 46,204 servicemembers who paid for lifetime protection plans.

The company closed its stores in 2021.

The states involved in the case were California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Hawaii.

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