Consumer complaint received 2020-05-23
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: CO
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Problem with personal statement of dispute

Complaint:
Below is a copy of the letter I wrote to Comenity regarding the information I am trying to dispute. I have great credit and this incident has taken my credit score from the high 700 's to XXXX. Please help! My credit has always been great and my credit report shows I have always paid my payments. I have contacted Comenity and they are refusing to help me fix this. Please help me. I've had a great credit score for over 20 years and this has completely damaged my credit in addition to affecting a job opportunity. I need to take care of this as soon as possible or I will be unemployed. 
To Whom it May Concern, I was recently advised of a matter concerning my New York and Company credit card ending in XXXX. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a statement showing my balance was {$21.00}. I paid {$10.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I made a purchase for {$26.00}. I was not advised Comenity added a {$35.00} late fee. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I made another payment for {$21.00}. After paying this amount on XX/XX/XXXX, I assumed the account was paid in full because I never received another statement from Comenity for my New York and Company account. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a voicemail from a collections agency stating that I needed to contact them about my New York and Company account. I almost thought this was a scam since I believed the account to be paid in full for months, but I called anyway to see what they needed as I thought the phone call was possibly a call to notify me the company was closing. I believed this may be the case because their location at XXXX XXXX and XXXX recently closed and I assumed it was because the company was having trouble. 
When I called, I spoke to a male that advised me I had a balance of {$190.00}. I immediately thought someone must be using my account and told him I had concerns of this. He quickly explained that the balance was due to late fees that accumulated from my XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX statements. I advised him that I was never made aware I had a balance and I never received a statement. He asked that if I just pay {$60.00}, he could waive the remaining amount and make resolve the account. I then asked, in a panic, if this had been reported to the credit agencies and he stated it had not. I also asked him why nobody had called me earlier to advise me I had a balance. He advised me that I needed to speak with Comenity. This {$60.00} payment posted to my account on XX/XX/XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from XXXX XXXX  regarding an account I currently have with them stating they were closing my account based on delinquent or derogatory status on accounts that are too recent. I immediately had my credit report pulled and noticed that Comenity New York and Company reported they did not received a payment from me in XXXX, XXXX and XXXX of XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Comenity and spoke to a supervisor named XXXX. He explained that my XX/XX/XXXX statement reflected I owed {$21.00}. He stated they received a payment from me of {$10.00} and on XX/XX/XXXX, I made a purchase for {$26.00}. He explained the balance forward was {$22.00} to include a late fee of {$35.00}. As previously stated, I paid {$21.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and never received another statement. When I told him this he advised me there had been several statements sent to me and several automated phone calls made to me, yet they received no payments. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I terminated the phone call with him and continued to do some research. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I called back and spoke with an operator named XXXX. During our conversation, I asked XXXX why nobody had reached out to me if I had an outstanding balance. I find this pretty unusual that when a consumer owes a creditor money, that they do not send mail, email or call the consumers to let them know this! I had not received anything. XXXX then told me it was my fault because I had not provided them with an updated address until XX/XX/XXXX. This really made me confused because I moved to my residence at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, Colorado in XX/XX/XXXX. Comenity was provided this information as soon as I moved. Comenity had been sending my New York and Company statements to this address in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX of XXXX. When I asked her what she was talking about and explained that I had received these statements before at my new address, she could not provide a valid explaination and I terminated the phone call. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I called back and spoke to XXXX ( operator ID XXXX ). I asked XXXX if she could give me the address on each and every statement they have sent to me since XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX explained that she could not retrieve my statements, but if I wanted the statements I could sign in to my account and see this information on the website, which I did. When I signed in to my account, I realized Comenity did not generate a statement in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX or XXXX of XXXX. This confirms that nobody advised me I had a balance on the account. I took a screenshot of this and I have attached it to this letter. 
What I can say is I have an exceptional credit history with Comenity New York and Company and the multiple other creditors I have existing and past accounts with. I recently refinanced my home and during the time my finance company was pulling credit reports on me, my credit score was in the high 700s. I now have a credit score in the low 600s and has already affected recent credit card applications. I am currently in the process of getting a job with a local police department, which requires extensive background investigations to include pulling a credit report. This is affecting me financially and now causing hardships for my career in law enforcement, as this could disqualify me as an applicant for this position. 
I must say this is not the way a company like Comenity should be doing business. I have made several calls requesting correspondence from Comenity showing proof of the information I was provided over the phone from your employees, but my request was declined. What I can say is if at any point and time between XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX I was made aware I had a balance with Comenity/New York and Company, especially such a low balance, I would have payed this off immediately. I think my history with Comenity and other creditors shows my exceptional credit history. 
I have asked Comenity for proof of their efforts to advise me of the balance, but the male I spoke with was unable to provide me any dates stating this was communicated to me. He did, however, say that their automated system called me to notify me of the account status but he was unable to provide me with dates or any other proof of this. This is a lie. I never received a message through voicemail or a letter stating I had a balance on this account. 
It should be noted when the collector called me on XX/XX/XXXX, he asked that I pay {$60.00}, which I immediately paid in full and brought the account to a zero balance. This would have happened months ago if someone would have let me know the account balance. I also immediately contacted Comenity and closed the credit card account, as I would never do business with this company again.

I am requesting Comenity make this right and either send me a letter that I can submit to the credit agencies to repair my credit, explaining the truth of this situation or send me proof of correspondence ( mail, certified mail, dates of calls to my phone number, etc ) that they did reach out to me to resolve the account. 

This information can be sent to the following address or email. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Colorado XXXX XXXX XXXX I will advise you that this letter, along with the screenshot of proof that your company did not generate any statements between XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, will be sent to all three credit bureaus, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Colorado Attorney Generals Office.

I am asking that Comenity help me resolve this issue immediately or I will be contacting an attorney. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief