Clark Howard: Credit Card Company Sued

Discover Financial Services is the target of a Lawsuit by the Minnesota Attorney General.

The credit card company is accused of signing people up for credit card protection that the customers say they never requested. Channel 2 Consumer Adviser Clark Howard says there are similar complaints right here in Georgia.

Pat Wilmot attends College at Georgia Southern University. His mother helped him get his first credit card a few months ago. After Wilmot had the card a few weeks, Discover called him on the phone.

"It was basically just to see if I liked the card and if everything was going as I liked."

Wilmot added, "I believe they asked a couple of times if I wanted to sign up for a few different things, but I said my mom's the person running this deal and I'm going to have to talk to her first before I say anything."

A few weeks after that call, Wilmot found an extra charge on his bill for credit card protection. Both Wilmot and his mother are upset.

"This was supposed to be a card specifically for a young person to establish credit. That was the way they advertised it," Kitty Wilmot said.

We asked discover card to comment on the complaints. A company spokesman didn't return our calls, but in a written statement, spokesman told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "It's not in Discover's interest to sell a product that doesn't enhance our relationship with our card members."

Clark says it's important to check credit card bills every month. Under the law, if unwanted charges aren't disputed within 60 days, consumers can be stuck with the bill.