Harris Jewelers, with Location in Hauppauge, Sold Protection Plans on Low-Quality Jewelry
By Hank Russell
New York Attorney General Letitia James urged service members and veterans who were deceived by Harris Jewelry to file claims to receive refunds from her office’s settlement with the company on or before December 21. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District ordered Harris Jewelry to reopen its portal to allow defrauded consumers to file claims for refunds from a July 2022 settlement reached by Attorney General James and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The settlement required Harris Jewelry to cancel $21.3 million in debt for more than 13,000 people and provide $12.8 million in refunds for more than 40,000 who were misled into paying for lifetime protection plans on low-quality jewelry without disclosure. Eligible service members and veterans should file a claim online for a refund on or before December 21st.
Three of Harris’ affiliates — Harris Originals of NY, Inc., and Consumer Adjustment Corp, and Consumer Adjustment Corp, USA — shared a location at 800 Prime Place in Hauppauge. Harris Originals directs and manages the operation of more than 20 retail jewelry stores nationwide, according to the lawsuit the AG’s office filed against Harris. The two other affiliates conducted business transactions across the nation on behalf of Harris.
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 did not hear back from Harris Jewelry, are encouraged to file a claim online as soon as possible. Anyone experiencing an issue filing a claim should contact the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Watertown Regional Office by calling 315-523-6080 or filing an online complaint. Over 30,000 consumers remain eligible for refunds from a fund exceeding $8 million.
According to James’ office, Harris Jewelry deceived active-duty service members and veterans by claiming that they could improve their credit if they enrolled in their financing program and invested in their jewelry products. However, service members were burdened with high interest rates, thousands of dollars in debt, and poor-quality jewelry, ultimately resulting in damaged credit scores. Harris Jewelry was also responsible for inflating prices and adding hidden fees without disclosure while promising charitable donations to Operation Troop Aid, Inc.
James and the FTC co-led an 18-state agreement that required Harris Jewelry to stop collecting outstanding debts, refund thousands of service members, correct bad credit scores, and dissolve all its businesses. As part of the agreement, Harris Jewelry stopped collecting $21,307,229 in outstanding debt held by 13,426 service members. In New York, 443 service members had $756,644 in debt canceled. Harris Jewelry also vacated judgments against 112 consumers totaling $115,335.64 and deleted any negative credit entries reported to consumer reporting agencies.
“Service members and veterans give up so much to serve our country, and they deserve to be honored and respected, not misled and defrauded,” James said. “I was proud that my office secured a major settlement with Harris Jewelry over their deceptive practices, and I urge impacted New Yorkers to file a claim now to get their money back before the refund portal closes on December 21st. Our office is committed to protecting our veterans and holding predatory businesses that harm service members accountable.”
Long Island Life & Politics called Harris Jewelers’ Hauppauge location for comment. LILP left a voicemail but did not hear back as of press time.
To file a claim for a refund from Harris Jewelry, visit their online portal.