Discover to Refund Cardholders

3.5 million current and former. Discover customers will receive refunds for credit card ad-ons sold by high-pressure telemarketers. The order comes from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)  and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and requires Discover Bank to refund $200 million to cardholders and pay a $14 million fine. 

The agencies say that Discover’s telemarketers used misleading scripts to push Payment Protection, a Credit Score Tracker, Theft Protection and Wallet Protection.  The telemarketers apparently misled consumers about fees, enrolled some without permission and promised they wouldn’t be enrolled in the plans until they received written material, which never materialized.

The settlement covers consumers who bought these services knowingly, or unknowingly from December 1, 2007 to August 31, 2011. You don’t have to do anything to get the refund from Discover. If you currently hold a Discover card, you’ll get a credit on your account.  If you no longer have a Discover credit card, you’ll get a check in the mail.