Consumer complaint received 2018-04-05
Company: Experian Information Solutions Inc.
State: CA
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: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
I opened an account with XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX for both my husband and I. We were charged an annual fee of {$75.00} each to open an account of {$300.00} to renew and establish credit after the XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX housing lending disaster. In addition, we were charged {$95.00} for a security deposit. Less than 6 months, we realize paying excessive fees was not good and we closed our account in good standing and did not receive our {$95.00} security deposit. After a few months, we re-applied because we needed to build up our credit. I requested XXXX XXXX to apply our security deposits to the new accounts and they refused and said we had to start over and pay. So we paid again, {$75.00} each for an annual fee and {$95.00} each for security deposit. In XX/XX/XXXX, we realized excessive fees were being added each month so we both stop using the credit cards. In XX/XX/XXXX, I called and requested to close the account, since we no longer are making purchases and were paid up to date. XXXX XXXX did not honor our request and added more interest and late fees. XX/XX/XXXX, I send a note in writing requesting to close our account and paid the final balances for each card. XXXX XXXX  refused to close and sent a letter we owed {$31.00} for late fees which were unfair accounting practices on our accounts. On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent the 2nd note to dispute fees and XXXX refused to close our accounts and never refunded any of our security deposit nor did they apply it towards our bill. We feel that CFPB needs to investigate the way this company has unfair accounting practice against people by charging not only an annual fee just to have the card but a security deposit that is supposed to be refunded. This is unfair charges, and unauthorized/approved by the consumer. This company is overcharging millions of people and gaining an obscene amount of profits. The CFPB needs to have their company books audited from the inception of their company through the present. My dispute is : XXXX XXXX XXXX  refuses to close the account when requested by the consumer, therefore they believe if they keep the accounts open longer they gain and able to continue to charge their garbage fees onto hard-working consumers who believed they would have a fair chance to gain a decent credit record again for future home buying or be eligible for other credit. Instead of XXXX advertising the truth to the consumer that they can help fix credit by obtaining their credit card, they falsely misled the consumer by tricking them into paying excessive fees, then refusing to close an account in good standing, ruining up fees to ruin consumer 's credit, then reporting negative activity for 5 additional years to make it difficult for a consumer to apply elsewhere to further keep them in debt and not allowing, especially minorities to gain a favorable credit report/score. XXXX XXXX   needs to have a class action lawsuit for anti-trust issues, coercion, fraud, misleading/misrepresentation, unfair accounting practices, keeping security deposit monies from the consumer. This type of company that defrauds by advertising they can help build up credit again when they actually do the opposite, while they are paying themselves large monthly bonuses on the number of people who bite the bait. This is a switch and bait Ponzi scheme/pyramid unfair credit card company that needs to be shut down by the Financial Bureau. I was the honest consumer, paid my account on time at 39.99 % rate to build my credit and requested it closed after not purchasing anything for 6 months prior. Yet this company is allowed to force the consumer to pay unwarranted fees! CFPB, please investigate. Thank you.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief