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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA In the Matter of DBC FINANCIAL, INC., a corporation. FILE NO. 9923228 The Federal Trade Commission has conducted an investigation of certain acts and practices of DBC Financial, Inc., a corporation ("Respondent" or "DBC"). Respondent, having been represented by counsel, is willing to enter into an agreement containing a consent order resolving the allegations contained in the attached draft complaint. Therefore, IT IS HEREBY AGREED, by and between DBC, its duly authorized officers, and counsel for the Federal Trade Commission that: 1. Respondent DBC is a Delaware corporation, with its office and principal place of business located at 75 Piedmont Avenue, Suite1200, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. 2. Respondent DBC has engaged in the business of marketing and servicing a direct deposit bank card, known as the Delaware Bank Card, as well as other bank card-related services or products. 3. The acts and practices of Respondent alleged in this complaint have been in or affecting commerce, as "commerce" is defined in Section 4 of the FTC Act. 4. Respondent admits all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the draft complaint. 5. Respondent waives:
6. This agreement shall not become part of the public record of the proceeding unless and until it is accepted by the Commission. If this agreement is accepted by the Commission, it, together with the draft complaint, will be placed on the public record for a period of thirty (30) days and information about it publicly released. The Commission thereafter may either withdraw its acceptance of this agreement and so notify the Respondent, in which event it will take such action as it may consider appropriate, or issue and serve its complaint (in such form as the circumstances may require) and decision in disposition of the proceeding. 7. This agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by Respondent that the law has been violated as alleged in the draft complaint or that the facts as alleged in the draft complaint, other than the jurisdictional facts, are true. 8. This agreement contemplates that, if it is accepted by the Commission, and if such acceptance is not subsequently withdrawn by the Commission pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.34 of the Commission's Rules, the Commission may, without further notice to Respondent, (1) issue its complaint corresponding in form and substance with the attached draft complaint and its decision containing the following order in disposition of the proceeding, and (2) make information about it public. When so entered, the order shall have the same force and effect and may be altered, modified, or set aside in the same manner and within the same time provided by statute for other orders. The order shall become final upon service. Delivery of the complaint and the decision and order to respondent by any means specified in Section 4.4 of the Commission's Rules shall constitute service. The date of service shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Effective Date." Respondent waives any right it may have to any other manner of service. The complaint may be used in construing the terms of the order. No agreement, understanding, representation, or interpretation not contained in the order or the agreement may be used to vary or contradict the terms of the order. 9. Respondent has read the draft complaint and consent order. It understands that it may be liable for civil penalties in the amount provided by law for each violation of this order after it becomes final. DEFINITIONS For purposes of this order, the following definitions shall apply: 1. "Account" shall mean a demand deposit (checking), savings, or other consumer asset account (other than an occasional or incidental credit balance in a credit plan) held directly or indirectly by a financial institution, and established primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.2. "Account Set-up Fee" shall mean any fee charged by respondent to any customer to open or activate a Delaware Bank Card Account. 3. "Bank card" or "Bank card-related service or product" shall mean any form of direct deposit bank card service offered by or through respondent, including but not limited to any card, code, or other means of access to an Account, or any combination thereof, that may be used by the consumer to initiate electronic fund transfers. 4. "Clearly and prominently" shall mean as follows:
5. "Current Eligible Customers" shall mean all customers who, as of the Effective Date of this order, have an open Delaware Bank Card Account, and whose Accounts have been charged an Account Set-up Fee. 6. Unless otherwise specified, "DBC" or "Respondent" shall mean DBC Financial, Inc., and each of its successors and assigns, and officers, agents, representatives, and employees. 7. "Electronic Fund Transfer" shall mean any transfer of funds that is initiated through an electronic terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape for the purpose of ordering, instructing, or authorizing a financial institution to debit or credit an account. The term includes, but is not limited to:
8. "ETA" shall mean the U.S. Treasury-designated electronic transfer account made available by a federally-insured financial institution acting as a Financial Agent in accordance with the requirements set out in 31 C.F.R. Section 208.5 9. "Overdraft Protection Fee" shall mean any fee charged by respondent to any customer for overdraft protection services. 10. "Past Eligible Customers" shall mean all customers who had an open Delaware Bank Card Account on August 31, 1999, and who were charged an Account Set-up Fee, but who, between August 31, 1999 and the Effective Date of this Order, have closed their Delaware Bank Card Account. ORDER I. IT IS ORDERED that respondent DBC, a corporation, its successors and assigns, and its officers, agents, representatives, and employees, directly or through any corporate or other device, in connection with the advertising, promotion, offering for sale, sale, or distribution of the Delaware Bank Card or any Bank Card or Bank Card-related service or product in or affecting commerce, shall not, orally or otherwise, directly or indirectly, make any misrepresentation or material omission concerning the costs, benefits, or conditions of the Bank Card or Bank Card-related service or product, including but not limited to the following:
II. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent DBC, its successors and assigns, and its officers, agents, representatives, and employees, directly or through any corporate or other device, in connection with the advertising, promotion, offering for sale, sale, or distribution of the Delaware Bank Card or any Bank Card or Bank Card-related service or product, shall not, orally or otherwise, directly or indirectly, make any misrepresentation that DBC or any of its Bank Card or Bank Card-related services or products are affiliated in any way with any United States governmental agency, institution, or program. III. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent DBC, its successors and assigns, and its officers, agents, representatives, and employees, directly or through any corporate or other device, in connection with the advertising, promotion, offering for sale, sale, or distribution of the Delaware Bank Card or any Bank Card or Bank Card-related service or product, shall not make any representation, in any manner, expressly or by implication, about the availability of electronic transfer of funds from any government entity, including but not limited to social security payments, unless DBC discloses, clearly and prominently, and in close proximity to the representation, the following:
Provided, however, that to the extent DBC is advertising or promoting the ETA, as defined herein, on behalf of a financial institution that is offering that product, the above disclosure shall not be required. IV. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent, its successors and assigns, jointly and severally, shall pay redress to consumers in the amount of $ 250,000.00 (U.S. Dollars) ("Redress Fund"). Respondent shall wire transfer the sum of $ 250,000.00 into an escrow account designated by the Commission, on or before five (5) days after the date of issuance of this Order. This sum shall be used to (1) provide redress to all Current Eligible Customers and Past Eligible Customers, as those terms are defined herein; and (2) pay any attendant expenses of administration. The Redress Fund shall be used to provide all Current Eligible Customers and Past Eligible Customers a full refund of the Account Set-up Fee of $19.95, and a one-time partial refund of the Overdraft Protection Fee. The FTC shall determine, in its sole discretion, which consumers are eligible for redress as well as the amounts to be paid.
If the Commission determines, in its sole discretion, that redress to consumers is wholly or partially impracticable, any funds not so used shall be deposited into the United States Treasury. Respondent shall be notified as to how funds are disbursed, but shall have no right to contest the manner of distribution chosen by the Commission. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Order, Respondent agrees that if it fails to meet the payment obligations set forth in Section IV of this Order, respondent shall pay the costs and attorneys fees incurred by the Commission and its agents in any attempts to collect amounts due pursuant to this Order. Respondent further agrees that the facts as alleged in this Complaint filed in this action shall be taken as true in any subsequent litigation filed by the Commission to enforce its rights pursuant to this Order, including but not limited to, a nondischargeability complaint in any subsequent bankruptcy proceeding. V. DBC hereby further represents, covenants, and agrees that it has waived and will waive and will not charge the Account Set-up Fee of $19.95 for any Delaware Bank Card account opened between August 31, 1999 and January 31, 2000. VI. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, within five days after the date of issuance of this order, DBC's President shall submit to the Commission a truthful sworn statement reaffirming and attesting that, to the best knowledge and information of DBC and its President, the list of Current Eligible Customers and Past Eligible Customers, which list shall have been previously submitted to the Commission, is true, accurate and complete. The Commission's tentative approval of this settlement is expressly premised upon the truthfulness, accuracy, and completeness of DBC's list of customers enumerated in this Paragraph, which contain material information upon which the Commission relied in negotiating and agreeing to this tentative settlement. The sworn statement required by this Paragraph shall be sent by certified mail to the Associate Director, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. VII. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent DBC, a corporation, and its successors and assigns, shall, for three (3) years from the date of entry of this order, maintain and upon request immediately make available to the Federal Trade Commission for inspection and copying, all documents demonstrating compliance with this order. VIII. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent DBC Financial, Inc., and its successors and assigns, shall, for a period of three (3) years following the date of service of this order, deliver a copy of this order to all current and future principals, officers, directors, and managers, and to all current and future agents, representatives, and management employees having responsibility with respect to the subject matter of this order, as well as any independent contractor retained to market the DBC Bank Card or similar Bank Card products and services, and shall secure from each such person a signed statement acknowledging receipt of the order. Respondent shall maintain and make available upon request by representatives of the Federal Trade Commission copies of said signed statements. Respondent shall deliver this order to current personnel within thirty (30) days after the date of service of this order, and to future personnel within thirty (30) days after the person assumes such position or responsibilities. IX. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent DBC Financial, Inc., and its successors and assigns, shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any change in the corporation that may affect compliance obligations arising under this order, including but not limited to a dissolution, assignment, sale, merger, or other action that would result in the emergence of a successor corporation; the creation or dissolution of a subsidiary, parent, or affiliate that engages in any acts or practices subject to this order; the proposed filing of a bankruptcy petition; or a change in the corporate name or address. Provided, however, that, with respect to any change in the corporation about which respondent learns less than thirty (30) days prior to the date such action is to take place, respondent shall notify the Commission as soon as is practicable after obtaining such knowledge. All notices required by this Part shall be sent by certified mail to the Associate Director, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. X. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent DBC Financial, Inc., a corporation, its successors and assigns, and its officers, shall, within one hundred and eighty (180) days of the date of service of this order, and at such other times as the Commission may require, file with the Commission a report, in writing, setting forth in detail the manner and form in which they have complied with this order. XI. This order will terminate twenty (20) years from the date of its issuance, or twenty (20) years from the most recent date that the United States or the Federal Trade Commission files a complaint (with or without an accompanying consent decree) in federal court alleging any violation of the order, whichever comes later; provided, however, that the filing of such a complaint will not affect the duration of:
Provided further, that if such complaint is dismissed or a federal court rules that respondent did not violate any provision of the order, and the dismissal or ruling is either not appealed or upheld on appeal, then the order will terminate according to this Part as though the complaint has never been filed, except that the order will not terminate between the date such complaint is filed and the later of the deadline for appealing such dismissal or ruling and the date such dismissal or ruling is upheld on appeal. Signed this day of 1999. DBC FINANCIAL, INC. ________________________ _________________________ COUNSEL for the FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ________________________ ________________________ APPROVED: JESSICA RICH DAVID MEDINE JOAN Z. BERNSTEIN |