Consumer complaint received 2021-06-29
Company: CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
I signed up to buy an XXXX through XXXX 's website. The only option to buy the XXXX, was by using a Citizen 's loan to finance the XXXX, with no discounts. I bought the XXXX  by putting my credit card information in at the time of purchase. 

I did not hear anything for 3 months, and assumed that my credit card would be billed as normally happens with any online purchase. 

Three months later I received a notification from my bank that my credit score had dropped 100 points, from perfect at XXXX down to under XXXX. I then researched what could be the problem, which turned out to be a loan from Citizens. I went through my emails and found no emails from Citizens except for one at the time of purchase that asked if I'd like to add my credit card to their information data base for ease - it expressly did not say that it was required. I don't like to send my credit card information out without a real reason, so I had decided not to do that at the time. 

I then called Citizens and was ultimately directed to billing, who notified me on a recorded line that I had not been contacted about my late bill, either by phone or by email, and also noted that this was not normal - others had been contacted 7+ times. I then asked if I could pay my bill and if Citizens would return my credit to normal, as this seemed like a mistake on their part, and something I was willing to resolve quickly, as there had obviously been an operational issue on their side, and I didn't want my credit hurt ( I'm trying to buy my mom a house ). Citizens refused the offer and demanded that I pay immediately or they would send my account to collections ( where it apparently already was ). I ended up paying XX/XX/24 months of the " loan '' with all of the interest ( " fees '' as they call it ), hoping this would get Citizens to help me on my credit score. I then attempted to put my credit card and then debit card into their website about 10 times ( I use both still, they work ), and had one instance where it looked like it went through, so I could be automatically billed. 

Apparently their website didn't work again, and they are threatening my credit again, and are now calling me on what seems to be a daily basis, despite my balance over the next two years being 90 % paid. I have spoken to them multiple times and they refuse to 1 ) fix their website, 2 ) fix my credit, 3 ) are knowingly harassing me. 

1 ) They have called me and claim they don't know who they are calling or why. 
2 ) Have attempted to state that I am calling them when they have called me. 
3 ) Continue to hold my credit score hostage over XXXX {$100.00}. 
4 ) In holding my credit hostage and trying to force me to prepay 2 years ahead of time, are in effect charging me a usurious rate of interest ( 10 % /year over two years is what the fees equate to, which I have now paid in ~6 months, resulting in an interest rate of >40 % ).

4 ) Refuse to help amend my credit score.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation