Big Island Discover Card Users Part of Settlement

Big Island residents that use Discover credit cards may be eligible to receive a refund of fees charged to them as part of a $200 million national settlement brought against the company.

The suit was brought against Discover by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was created in 2010 as a part of the financial overhaul law to protect consumers from financial threats, as well as excessive or hidden fees generated by banks.

Federal regulators accused the country’s sixth largest credit card issuer of pressuring customers to buy expensive services, such as payment protection and credit monitoring.

According to authorities, Discover Card call-center workers spoke quickly when prices and terms were described, used misleading language that lead customers to believe certain services were free, and enrolled customers in programs without their consent.

As a result of the settlement, Discover will refund $200 million directly to more than 3.5 million cardholders nationwide, as well as pay $14 million in fines.

The four products sold by Discover that are part of the settlement include: Payment Protection, Credit Score Tracker, Identity Theft Protection and Wallet Protection.

Anyone who paid for those services between December 1, 2007, and August 31, 2011, will be repaid at least 90 days’ worth of fees. About 2 million customers will be repaid all of the fees they were charged.

Discover Card has not posted any information about the settlement on their website. Big Island residents wanting to confirm that they are eligible for the settlement can call Discover customer service at (1-800-347-2683).