Consumer complaint received 2023-10-15
Company: FIRST PORTFOLIO SERVICING INC
State: MI
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
This dispute surrounds charges assessed by Total Visa to my account while credit through Total Visa was not accessible to me because Total Visa failed to provide a renewal credit card for me to use for six months after my credit card expired. I paid my balance in entirety 99 % of the time and incurred no interest or late fees until the confusion occurred at the renewal card process. I paid the annual Total Visa charge based on the premise presented to me by representatives of a temporarily delayed receipt of a renewal card. In addition to having all charges that Total Visa assesses that are not for direct purchases, I want the annual fee I paid, which IXXXX  think is {$48.00} as I am unable to access my statements and Total Visa has not responded to my request for access to my statements. 

My telephone records support that I initially contacted Total Visa in early XX/XX/XXXX to find out when my renewal/new card would be issued since the credit card, I had would expire XX/XX/XXXX. I was informed that a card went out in XXXX, and another card would go out in a few weeks. I later found out that was a lie. No card was issued in XXXX, and no cards would be issued until after XX/XX/XXXX because according to the Total Visa voice message published for incoming calls, when I called in early XX/XX/XXXX the message stated the card issuance were delayed because of supply chain issues. The message signifies an enormous call volume surrounding the lack of receipt of cards. 

When I finally received the card, I contacted Total Visa in early XX/XX/XXXX. I learned that there was an account balance of {$140.00}, which now exceeds {$500.00} comprised solely of fees and charges assessed by Total Visa such as late fees {$41.00} per month, and interest imposed based on {$6.00} monthly service fee charges that continued to be levied despite my not having any access to a credit card to make purchases. I explained that no renewal card signified to me that there was not an active account. I expressed dissatisfaction to the supervisor/manager XXXX and requested all fees be removed. XXXX hung up on me. I closed the account. I never activated the new card. 

The next supervisor/manager I spoke to in XX/XX/XXXX stated that page 2 allowed for the assessment of fees when the account is open. The application of the practice wrongfully and ridiculously that Total Visa could approve and open an account and never provide the account holder access to the credit card while Total Visa would still be entitled to assess and collect charges and fees they imposed for merely opening the account as the customer awaits receipt of the card. 

I contend, Total Visa may only collect fees when they provide reasonable service that allows the use of credit through Total Visa, which in my instance they failed to do! 
Furthermore, I was lied to about the cards issued prior to the XX/XX/XXXX expiration of my card. I was told that a new card had been sent in XXXX, and when I didnt receive the new card, I was told another card was issued in XXXX. I later learned that no cards had been mailed. If I had been told the truth that the cards would not be issued and fees would continue until the following year, I would have closed the account ; or if the card had arrived in XXXX, I would have requested that all fees be removed for the period that I did not have access to credit. Instead, I was deliberately deceived and prevented from making an informed decision. 

When I called in XX/XX/XXXX or early XX/XX/XXXX the message on the Total Visa system stated that mailing of cards was delayed due to supply chain issues. Because my card was inactive effective XX/XX/XXXX, and other Total Visa poor customer service issues, it was very difficult to speak to a representative. I continued to get looped around the telephone system until I either hung up or was disconnected.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation