Kay Jewelers` parent company and Jared Galleria de Jewelry agreed to pay an $11 million fine if they signed customers up for a business credit card and payment protection without their knowledge and provided false information about the card`s interest rate. “We have taken this opportunity to internally reaffirm the transparency and fairness of our credit-related policies, and we look forward to continuing to provide our customers with access to appropriate credit options,” the statement said. The allegations against Sterling reflect similar practices practiced by other major credit card issuers and banks, including Wells Fargo, a few years ago and fined by the CFPB. Some employees have requested customers` personal information in order to enroll them in a rewards or discount program. Instead, employees used this information to submit a completed credit card application on behalf of the customer. Customers only discovered the applications after receiving a card in the mail or finding a request for credit reports. From 2012 to 2015, the CFPB fined six major card issuers and banks for their fraudulent credit card practices, including enrolling customers in additional credit card features for a fee. Discover, Capital One, Citi, American Express, Chase and Bank of America collectively paid $123.6 million in fines to the office and provided $2.136 billion in relief and refunds to nearly 15 million consumers. In other cases, employees told customers that the business card came with an interest-free advertising financing plan, even though the plan actually charged a monthly financing fee. Other workers have registered customers for payment insurance on their business cards without their knowledge. Customers only found out after seeing the insurance fees on their bills. Wells Fargo was also fined $100 million in 2016 after the CFPB and other authorities announced that the bank`s employees had opened more than 2 million deposit and credit card accounts without customer approval to increase sales and receive bonuses.

This began a long list of allegations of unscrupulous practices at the bank. Sterling has required its employees to meet company credit card enrollment rates, according to court documents. To increase pressure on workers, performance appraisals and wage increases were based on meeting these quotas. “By tricking consumers into signing up for customers` credit cards, Sterling Jewelers betrayed customers` trust and broke the law,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release. “This regulation holds the company accountable for its misconduct and ensures that no other consumer is deceived.” More money: Burger King trolls Trump over the inclusion of “Hamberdern” in a “massive” fast food order Sterling does not admit or deny the allegations, according to court documents. Signet said in a statement from the company that it “does not agree with the allegations” but wanted to avoid the “time, cost and uncertainty of litigation.” Sterling operates approximately 1,500 jewelry stores under many names, including Kay Jewelers, Jared The Galleria of Jewelry, JB Robinson Jewelers, Marks & Morgan Jewelers, Belden Jewelers, Goodman Jewelers, LeRoy`s Jewelers, Osterman Jewelers, Rogers Jewelers, Shaw`s Jewelers and Weisfield Jewelers. More money: Shopko files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will close another 38 stores across the country As part of the settlement, Sterling Jewelers Inc., a subsidiary of Signet Jewelers Ltd., will pay $10 million to the Consumer Financial Protection Office and $1 million to new York State. The Akron, Ohio-based company must also notify the office and state within 30 days if it is to compensate customers. .