Consumer complaint received 2018-01-16
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: IL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly
Sub-issue: Talked to a third-party about your debt

Complaint:
Financial Institute : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( hereinafter XXXX ) Issue : Contacted third parties without consumer 's direct consent - in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15, U.S.C. subsection 1692, Communication in Connection with Debt Collection ( b ) Description of matter : 1. Primary Compliant : XXXX has, as set out in the below circumstances, directly violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15, U.S.C. subsection 1692, Communication in Connection with Debt Collection ( b ), wherein it expressly states that without the prior consent of the consumer given directly to the debt collector, or the express permission of a court of competent jurisdiction, or as reasonably necessary to effectuate a postjudgment judicial remedy, a debt collector may not communicate, in connection with the collection of any debt, with any person other than the consumer, his attorney, a consumer reporting agency if otherwise permitted by law, the creditor, the attorney of the creditor, or the attorney of the debt collector. [ Emphasis added ] a. There has been no permission of court, nor postjudgement, that permits a 3rd party to the consumer to be contacted b. Third parties contacted were not the consumers attorney or any other party permitted within the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to be contacted. 
c. Consumer did not provide prior consent directly to the debt collector to contact 3rd parties XXXX contacted multiple relatives of the consumer without the consumer 's direct consent Relatives included Uncle and Mother / Father residing at separate addresses from each other and consumer Mother and Uncle contacted separately but on the same day ( XXXX XXXX, 2018 ) Both Mother and Uncle are unwell / ill and contact caused unnecessary strain on relatives health XXXX disclosed to Mother what issue was about ( i.e. debt collection ) ; again, without direct consent from consumer. 
Such disclosure was effectively disclosure of the consumer 's private information to a third party While dates of previous calls have not been recorded, this was not the first time XXXX has contacted relatives of the consumer without the consumer 's direct consent. 
Consumer has tried multiple times to contact XXXX to advise that further contact with relatives should not, under any circumstances, be made. Each time consumer either can not get a hold of XXXX, is placed on hold or transferred from department to department. 
However, in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the consumer is not required to request XXXX to cease and desist in respect of contacting 3rd parties as the law clearly sets out that XXXX required the consumers prior consent, which it did not have. 
Consumer reserves all rights to pursue any further action permitted under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and / or Civil action. 

2. Secondary Compliant : XXXX has exceeded reasonable contact methods and is outright harassing the consumer.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief