Consumer complaint received 2018-04-11
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Frequent or repeated calls

Complaint:
OnXX/XX/XXXX, my dentists office basically talked into getting a credit card called XXXX XXXX. They offered these cards to pay for dental work that insurance doesnt cover. I needed a XXXX XXXX procedure. My procedure was {$860.00}. My first bill was due the following month on XX/XX/XXXX. I was out of town during that time. I had someone picking up my mail and never received a bill. I called the company on XX/XX/XXXX and paid my bill plus the late fee ( {$27.00} ) which totaled {$73.00}. My minimum payment due was {$32.00} a month.

My company laid off my whole department XX/XX/XXXX. I am a single mom, so money was tight. I made XXXX XXXX aware of this. I had to pay them when I received my unemployment payments which made me a few days late most of the time. This company tacks on a minimum {$27.00} late fee if your bill isnt paid on the day its due! 
I was 4 days lateXX/XX/XXXX and had another late fee tacked on. This time for {$32.00}. I paid the XX/XX/XXXX bill 5 days prior to the due date.

At the end ofXX/XX/XXXX I had to have XXXX XXXX on my XXXX I missed my payment in XXXX because of this. I was charged a {$35.00} late fee. 5 days after the bill was due, I started receiving non stop phone calls from different numbers and unknown numbers. Sometimes 10 a day! Almost every time I answered, I would get hung up on. One time a XXXX XXXX rep was actually on the line. I was pretty angry because of the excessive calls. ( I had no idea who had been calling me until the rep told me he was from XXXX XXXX calling regarding my XXXX XXXX account ). I tried to explain my situation to him, but he was verbally abusive so I hung up. I then emailed XXXX XXXX using their messenger on their website. I explained what had happened with their abusive rep and that their non stop phone calls must stop immediately. I also explained that I just had XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX. I asked them to call me once and leave a message if Im late. Their rep replied and assured me that it wouldnt happen again. I then made a payment on XX/XX/XXXX of {$45.00}. That message thread mysteriously vanished from my account last month around the time they started harassing me again. I had just made my billing paperless. I did not receive an email with my bill in XX/XX/XXXX. I did not receive a late payment for that month which I dont understand why. I made a payment on XX/XX/XXXX for {$45.00}. No late fee for some reason. I did not receive a bill for XX/XX/XXXX. Again, no late fee. 
In the beginning of XXXX I had to have another XX/XX/XXXX XXXX. I called XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to pay my bill. I paid the rep {$33.00} over the phone. I let the women know my current situation and asked her if I could push my due dates out to the end of each month since that was when I received my XXXX payment. She said she couldnt do it then and that I would have to call back prior to my next due date and ask them to change it. Well I had my third XX/XX/XXXX XXXX at the beginning of XXXX which I told her about when I spoke to her on the phone. I totally forgot to call them to change it. I kinda had A LOT going on. I think thats a ridiculous request anyways. Why couldnt she just change it then? 
I had to keep my lights, phone, and water on and pay rent all with my XXXX money. I made this company aware of my situation several times. I paid them every month that I received a bill. Usually a little late, but I paid them within the month. The late fees are as much as or more than the minimum payment due, which is ridiculous. Also, they are adding these other {$1.00} minimum charges onto my account. This card is supposed to be interest free! 
I have paid {$260.00} to them. All minimum due to my financial situation over the past year. My balance started at {$860.00}. Its now {$750.00} because of all of their outrageous fees! Do the math. They are ripping me off! 

Back to the harassment. Starting XX/XX/XXXX, 5 days after my bill was due, XXXX XXXX XXXX has called me easily 90 times from 90 % unknown numbers and then several Ohio, Colorado and Kansas numbers. I know the unknown numbers are them because I have a call block app on my phone that shows me the number thats calling. Ive called all of the other numbers back and they are ALL XXXX XXXX XXXX. I have answered several times, and when I do, they hang up. Most days they are calling me twice an hour. 
I had every intention of paying this card off but I can not due to their outrageous late fees. Because of this and their constant harassment, I mailed them a certified letter on XX/XX/XXXX in which I have proof that it was received by XXXX XXXX XXXX onXX/XX/XXXX at XXXX XXXX 
In the letter I listed their violations as follows. 
Regarding the harassment, I told them that they are in direct violation of FDCPA 15 USC Section 1692d ( 5 ) ( then listed what is considered harassment. Copied directly from the FDCPA page ) Regarding calling from unknown numbers and hanging up, I told them that they were in direct violation of FDCPA 15 USC Sections 1692d ( 6 ) and 1692e ( then listed why they were in violation. Copied directly from the FDCPA page ) I told them that Im exercising my rights under the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act 15 UCS Section 1692c ( c ) and asked them to cease all contact with me and that due to their late fees I will never be able to pay the card off, so I am refusing to pay ( I then listed the whole section copied from the FDCPA page ) I told that I am also exercising my rights granted by the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX by requesting that no one from their company calls me on my cell phone, home phone, or at work again. 
I have received 18 phone calls from XXXX XXXX XXXX since my cease contact letter was received by them 2 days ago. It is XXXX here now and I have already received 4 calls from them. One just came in right now as I type this. 
What this company is doing is illegal. 
I checked the XXXX XXXX XXXX website, and they have a 98 % rating. As in 98 % negative. They have over 1000 complaints. Mostly the same as mine. They have already been through a pretty large lawsuit. 

I want the harassment to stop now! I have tried to email them many times, and whenever I message them about harassment, the email system magically doesnt work. I emailed them yesterday XX/XX/XXXX asking them where my messages went and that I want copies. That went through. They replied with a generic message asking me to call them to resolve the issue. I just requested copies of the messages again. 

I have all of the phone calls documented. I have proof that they are harassing me. I have proof that they received my letter and are still harassing me, which is illegal. 
I mailed the letter to their Customer Care Address XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, OH XXXX This Bank should be investigated. What they are doing to me and many others is not only horrible, but also illegal per federal laws. Ive read that debt collectors call from unknown numbers so they wont get in trouble. I guess they arent aware of the numerous phone apps that identify unknown callers. Or maybe they arent used to people researching laws that protect them as consumers. Who knows. All I know is that have been treating me like a criminal, when they are the criminals! 
I also plan on reporting them to my Attorney General and whoever else I can report them to. 
I am also going to send the same letter ( certified mail ) to the XXXX XXXX XXXX address. 

Thank you for your time, XXXX XXXX Please see my letter to XXXX XXXX XXXX attached. This was confirmed via USPS that it was received onXX/XX/XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation