Consumer complaint received 2021-12-03
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: VA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
I should begin by saying that I have a XXXX history of making on-time, in-full payments on my Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft credit card XXXX which is managed by Comenity Bank. 

The problems all began rather suddenly several months ago, when I started being assessed " late '' fees by Comenity Bank -- allegedly for payments that were received after their due date. Initially, I assumed the problem was due to USPS delays, so I began mailing my payments at least 15 business days prior to their due date. However, that did not help. Indeed, the late fees continued. This was most distressing b/c as I noted above, I have ALWAYS paid my bills in full and on time and my credit history/score reflects this. 

Then in XXXX of XXXX, I mailed my FULL payment ( of {$140.00} ) XXXX full days before it was due on XXXX. You can imagine my surprise and distress when I learned upon receiving my XXXX statement that my XXXX payment allegedly never arrived. Besides being assessed even more late fees and having an even bigger balance to pay off in XXXX, I had to pay {$29.00} to my bank to cancel the check I'd sent. To date, it has not turned up. 

On XX/XX/2021 -- XXXX days before it was due -- I mailed a {$240.00} payment ( XXXX 's balance, plus sizable late fees ) to Comenity. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a phone call from an aggressive male Comenity Bank customer service rep telling me that my payment was due the next day and that if it was not received on time, I would be assessed even more fees. Again, I was astonished and extremely distressed to hear that my payment had ( allegedly ) not arrived by that point. When I noted this to the Comenity rep, he asked where I was sending my payments. I told him -- XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, TX XXXX. He said : " That's the right address. '' I later confirmed this address again w/another Comenity Bank rep XXXX 

It's also worth noting that throughout the last several months, I have monitored my checking account very closely online and I have observed that -- with the SINGLE exception of Comenity Bank -- EVERY bill that I have paid has reached its destination within a week 's time, and all my other checks have been cashed on a timely basis. In other words -- of the many bills that I pay each month, the single outlier over the last few months has been Comenity Bank. For some reason over the last 6  months, no matter how early I send the full payment, the check inevitably arrives " late '' or Comenity says it never arrived at all. This is what they are telling me and based on both my experience and that of so many other consumers who have filed complaints against this company ( see the XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX ), I don't believe it. This has all the hallmarks of a scam. 

In any event, I have done everything right as a responsible consumer and yet -- I am being punished and tormented by this company. I am sick to death of having to pay unwarranted late fees, being bombarded with phone calls, emails and texts from Comenity Bank, and having to pay sizable fees to my bank to cancel checks that allegedly never arrive to Comenity -- despite the fact that I'm : a ) using the correct address to send payments ; and b ) mailing my payments weeks before they're due. 

It goes without saying that I will be canceling my account upon receiving and paying off my XXXX statement, but I am warning others to stay away from this company. Something is VERY amiss at Comenity and I urge the CFPB to investigate.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation