Consumer complaint received 2020-07-30
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: NC
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Card opened as result of identity theft or fraud

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX XXXX Sales representative fraudulently opened a credit account with Comenity Community Bank without my knowledge and consent by using my SSN provided to him for some other purpose. I came to know about this account around a month later on XX/XX/20 and I immediately called Comenity Community Bank notifying this fraud and asking them to NOT to pay anything to XXXX. 

I did NOT use any of the services sold by XXXX as part of this sales, and hence do not want to pay for this fraudulent account opened by them. 

We were called for a two-hour long presentation during our vacation in XXXX XXXX. After two and half hours of presentations and property walk through, the sales person asked for SSN so that he can give us pricing for various time share options. I declined to provide my SSN, and he brought his sales manger with him. The manager promises that they just want to see the credit score because price has a very large variation based on credit score. Upon repeated requests I provided my SSN. They provided us pricing of various price share options. My wife and I declined to buy any of those  options. They gave us a decline form, which we both signed. They told us to wait so that they can give us our promised {$250.00} gift card. Please note we were already in fourth hours by this time, whereas the promised time was two hours.

After ten minutes of we signing the decline form, another sales person comes and takes our family to a desk away from other people. As soon as we sit there, Sales person tears apart our signed decline form into pieces without our consent. For next ten minutes he speaks about my country XXXX mentioning he loves XXXX movies, he has many XXXX friends and many other things. By that time we are already in fourth hour, whereas the promised time was only two hours. 

Then he brings another hand-written paper showing options for purchasing XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX points as a trial offer along with hand written price. The price for XXXX points is written as {$68.00} per month for 24 months. He does not tell or show anything else. He repeatedly forces us to just choose one out of these three options from that hand written paper. All this time, he also keeps stating he has many XXXX friends, XXXX clients and we can just believe him blindly. 

After all this forced selling ( note, after my wife and I already had SIGNED the decline form ) and already spending FOUR PLUS hours, I was force agreed to purchase XXXX for {$68.00} per month for 24 months. 

Next, the sales person comes back with Paper work. He starts the conversation that he has a meeting and need to step out so we need to rush. He would not let me ready anything and keeps on distracting me stating I just need to pay {$68.00} per month and ignore everything. He also keeps distracting repeatedly saying he has many XXXX friends and he is doing a favor by giving this favor etc. Please note, my family and I were fully exhausted by that time. We signed the paperwork and left the property. 

We were travelling for few more weeks after XXXX XXXX. I was shocked to see a letter in my mailbox last week, mentioning a Comenity Community Bank Credit account and associated APR listed for that. I was not told anything at all about a Credit account is being opened with a third party by XXXX on my behalf. That was the first time, I realized, I am victim of financial fraud. I immediately read the paperwork and immediately called XXXX and the other credit agency, since this is completely different from what I was told.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation