Consumer complaint received 2020-04-29
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: WI
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
As stated in multiple phone calls to Comenity Bank, my XXXX credit card information was used fraudulently in an unauthorized credit card purchase on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$140.00}. I never ordered nor did I ever want the dietary supplemental pills which XXXX XXXX ( merchant ) sent to my residence in XXXX of XXXX. XXXX Bank has declined my dispute in a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX and is refusing to remove the charge from my account. Comenity is demanding that I send back the product back to XXXX XXXX if I want a refund. When I tried the merchant 's phone number listed on my credit card statement, I get a recorded message that the number can't be reached from my calling area. I then tried finding an alternate phone number, but to no avail. From what I discovered while looking for contact info, there are a number of different companies out there on the web with many product name variations for this stuff. The shipping label on the package indicates an address of XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX FL XXXX. When using XXXX XXXX, one discovers that this return address is just a US Postal station in XXXX, FL, not a business address. The bottles list a distributor of the pills in XXXX, WY. The merchant 's location listed on my credit card statement is XXXX XXXX, NV, while the product was shipped from XXXX XXXX XXXX, UT per USPS tracking info. I notice from reading the complaints about this merchant on the XXXX XXXX XXXX 's web site, there are many other victims. Several complaints are similar to mine in which their credit cards had unauthorized charges and product sent to them without their consent. This doesn't even include the other numerous complaints from those who were overcharged, returns going missing, phone calls not returned by merchant, disconnected phone numbers, promises made by merchant that were not kept, being charged restocking fees, returns not being accepted, etc. The company is clearly not following consumer laws. 

1 ) Like the unauthorized charge I experienced from XXXX XXXX, there are many people who have filed similar complaints with the XXXX XXXX XXXX about the merchant as recently as XX/XX/XXXX. 

2 ) I used this card in a XX/XX/XXXX visit at the XXXX store in XXXX XXXX, WI and did not use it again until XX/XX/XXXX at that same store/location. Otherwise, that card stayed in a safe place at my residence. I have lived by myself since XX/XX/XXXX, so there wouldnt have been anybody else with access to my credit card. I am the sole individual on this account and have never provided authorization to anyone else to use my credit card. 

3 ) The product ( 3 bottles ) has never been opened and the seals are still intact. There were no return instructions with the shipment, so I could not send the bottles back to the merchant. Per USPS regulations, once a package is opened the receiver can not simply put Return to Sender or 'Refused ' on it, so that wasnt an option for me either. Furthermore, I discovered through those complaints on the XXXX  web site many consumers who returned the product were never refunded, as the merchant said they never received it back or it was shipped to the wrong address. According to the information the merchant provided to some of the complainants, there is a 30day return policy, which I was never made aware of as I never received an invoice with the package of pills nor any confirmation email. 

4 ) I did not sign up for any type of subscription service ( where there are recurring charges ), as XXXX in Comenity 's Fraud Dept. suggested as the reason for the charge on my account. The {$4.00} and {$3.00} charges, which she referred to and found on my XX/XX/XXXX statement, were for transactions which I made with my actual card at the XXXX XXXX, WI XXXX store in XX/XX/XXXX. They were not for a subscription service of any kind. 

5 ) Every time I make a purchase online or in person, I always check my credit card statements and emails to cross check for the transactions and their accuracy. Every transaction has a receipt or invoice, either on paper and/or in a confirmation email. Again there are no confirmations in my emails from the merchant, nor did I receive an invoice with the product. 

In conclusion, I did not authorize the XX/XX/XXXX transaction from XXXX XXXX. Despite claims from the merchant that they have my credit card number including CVV, I never ordered the product and I never wanted the product. The merchant is falsely claiming that I made the transaction, which I did not. I was a victim of identity theft and was defrauded.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation