CONCORD, NH (WGME) — A coalition of 13 state attorneys general, including New Hampshire, has filed a lawsuit against national lender OneMain Financial, alleging the company charged consumers hundreds of millions of dollars in hidden fees tied to loan “add-on” products.
The lawsuit claims OneMain Financial packed installment loans with optional products such as insurance policies that consumers either did not request, did not need or did not fully understand they were purchasing.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella says the lawsuit aims to hold the company accountable for allegedly increasing the cost of loans for borrowers seeking financial relief.
“Our complaint alleges that OneMain marketed installment loans to Granite Staters seeking financial relief, then increased the cost of those loans through add-on products that consumers did not clearly request or knowingly agree to,” Formella said in a statement. “New Hampshire families trying to make ends meet deserve straightforward terms, not hidden costs. Companies that fail to provide transparency and fair dealing, as required by our consumer protection laws, should expect our office to take action to ensure a fair and honest marketplace.”
According to the complaint, OneMain Financial, which operates five branches in New Hampshire, allegedly used a “bait-and-switch” sales process that hid add-on products within lengthy loan documents. Investigators claim those products significantly inflated the cost of loans that were already high-interest.
Attorneys general allege the company sometimes pre-loaded loans with add-ons before closing, rushed customers through the paperwork process and buried references to the products within dozens of pages of legal documents. In some cases, the lawsuit claims loans were finalized on smartphones, making already small contract text even harder to read.
In addition to New Hampshire, the lawsuit was filed by the attorneys general of Colorado, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Maine is not part of the lawsuit. However, OneMain Financial does operate a location in Scarborough.
In a statement, the company denied the allegations and said it plans to fight the case in court.
“The states’ allegations are simply untrue — their case is wrong on the facts and wrong on the law and attempts to relitigate issues that were already reviewed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and fully resolved,” the company said.
“We operate honestly and transparently, in full compliance with all laws and regulations, as we provide responsible and much needed access to credit for hardworking Americans. This matter does not change how we operate our business or serve our customers. We will litigate this case vigorously and look forward to proving the truth in court.”
The lawsuit comes about three years after OneMain Financial agreed to pay $20 million to settle federal allegations that it pressured employees to sell add-on products to borrowers. The company did not admit wrongdoing in that settlement.
If successful, the lawsuit seeks restitution for consumers who were charged for the add-on products, civil penalties and the return of profits obtained through the alleged practices. The states are also asking a court to bar OneMain from continuing the practices and to withdraw negative credit reports tied to the disputed products.
New Hampshire officials say consumers who believe they were affected by the company’s practices can file a complaint with the state’s Department of Justice Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau.