Federal Court orders jeweler that allegedly targeted veterans to restore refund portal

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) – A federal court has ordered has ordered a jeweler allegedly that targeted Fort Drum veterans to reopen its claims process and renotify consumers to submit their claims for refunds.

The court found Harris Jewelry violated its prior settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and a multistate group led by the New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office by prematurely shutting down the claims portal.

The new claims process is open for 33 days and started on Monday, November 18. The window will be ending Saturday, December 21.

The agency is encouraging any consumers who purchased items from Harris Jewelry and paid for a Lifetime Jewelry and Watch Protection Plan, and have yet to file a claim or previously filed a claim but not yet heard back from Harris Jewelry, to request a refund via Harris’s website as soon as possible.

The FTC and 18 states took action and stopped the national jewelry retailer from cheating military families with illegal financing and sales practices in July 2022.

According to the complaint, the jewelry company deceptively claimed that financing jewelry purchases through Harris would raise servicemembers’ credit scores, misrepresented that its protection plans were not optional or were required, and added the plans to purchases without consumers’ consent.

The jeweler also allegedly violated numerous financial consumer protection laws, including the Military Lending Act.

Harris was ordered to stop collecting millions of dollars in debt, provide refunds for purchased protection plans, which could total approximately $10.9 million, issue refunds for overpayments, and assist with the deletion of any negative credit entries pertaining to debt in consumers’ credit reporting files under in a stipulated agreement. The jeweler is also required to complete its shutdown of operations and to dissolve pursuant to applicable state laws, once it meets the obligations of the stipulated order.

The court’s recent action, in response to a request from the FTC and the multistate group, is aimed at allowing consumers fair and sufficient time to file claims for refunds, in response to the 2022 settlement.

Watertown’s Salmon Run Mall had a location, but that has been permanently closed down.