State gets $12.5M in settlement with credit card companies

The state of Hawaii has received a total of $12.5 million as an out-of-court settlement against a number of national credit card providers who allegedly engaged in unfair and deceptive business practices involving thousands of Hawaii consumers.

The lawsuit was filed by the state in 2012 against Capitol One, HSBC, Discover, Barclays, Chase, Citi, and Bank of America, to stop their alleged illegal practices involving the marketing of credit card protection plans.

State Attorney General Douglas Chin said Hawaii consumers received solicitations by telephone or email, with misleading sales pitches.

“Many local citizens were convinced to sign up for a service they would not otherwise have purchased,” Chin said in a news release issued Monday.

“In some instances consumers complained they were enrolled without their consent. No one should have to pay for something they did not understand or agree to pay.”

The settlement money was transferred into the state’s general fund on Monday, the release said.

Some Hawaii consumers through separate enforcement actions by the federal government and private class actions received direct restitution, the state Attorney General’s office said.

Steve Levins, executive director of the state Officer of Consumer Protection and a former Deputy Attorney General, handled the state’s case.

The U.S. mainland firms of Golomb & Honik, P.C. and Baron and Budd, P.C. and the local firm of Cronin Fried Kekina Sekiya & Fairbanks also assisted in the case.