On Tuesday, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced that Tennessee has joined a multistate lawsuit against Mariner Finance over widespread violations of multiple consumer protection laws. The suit alleges that Mariner Finance charged consumers for hidden add-on products that consumers were not fully informed about or, in some instances, did not agree to buy. In doing so, Mariner illegally added hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars to the amounts consumers owed the company. In 2019 alone, Mariner charged consumers $121.7 million nationwide in premiums and fees for add-on products.
“My duty is to ensure that companies treat Tennessee consumers fairly and honestly,” Attorney General Skrmetti said. “Businesses that engage in deceptive practices deprive Tennessee consumers of making an informed choice, and that is illegal and wrong. I’m proud to join this bipartisan lawsuit on behalf of The Volunteer State.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Mariner engages in illegal, aggressive sales tactics to extend credit to new borrowers. These kinds of predatory sales practices can lead consumers into a cycle of debt that’s hard to overcome.
On April 1, 2024, the Court granted Tennessee’s previously filed joint motion to intervene, allowing The Volunteer State to intervene and join the litigation by filing a Second Amended Complaint that includes the intervening states as parties.
According to Mariner’s website, Mariner has 34 branches in Tennessee. Any consumer who believes they have been deceived by Mariner’s harmful practices can file a complaint with Tennessee. Consumers can find more information about how to submit a complaint to the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/working-for-tennessee/file-a-consumer-complaint.html?
In addition to Attorney General Skrmetti, today’s Second Amended Complaint includes as Plaintiffs the attorneys general of Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.
