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 said 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.

With the region under a tornado watch, folks were trying to plan their day to avoid traveling in severe weather.

“My car doesn’t do really well in the rain, so we’re just trying to get out as early as we can,” said Dalexa Rodriguez of Reading, Pa.

Rodriguez and Kiancy Reyes were heading back to Penn State’s main campus on Monday.

“You just gotta keep your head on a swivel, pay attention. We’ll be fine,” said Kiancy Reyes of Bristol Twp., Pa.

They hit the road early, hoping to avoid some nasty weather.

Officials say crews in New Jersey and Pennsylvania spent the day cleaning storm drains and inlets in preparation for downpours.

“Today, they are picking up litter, which will hopefully prevent clogging storm drains or just having other obstructions along the road,” said Helen Reinbrecht, PennDOT’s District 6 Community Relations Coordinator.

Another concern with high winds expected: downed trees, wires, and power outages.

“PECO has developed an enhanced staffing plan for this event to ensure we have additional field crews on hand and on standby to respond to any outages to safely restore service for our customers,” said PECO spokesperson Izamarie Camacho.

PECO says they’re monitoring conditions and will call in help from outside the area if needed. They’re urging people to be safe in case of an outage – and to be prepared.

“PECO customers should always assume that equipment is energized. We tell customers to report downed power lines by contacting us at 1-800-841-4141,” added Camacho.