Consumer complaint received 2023-03-29
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: NY
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX I took out a loan for {$4000.00} with Comenity BankXXXX XXXX XXXX with a credit limit of {$11000.00}. I had deferred payments until XX/XX/XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX Comenity Bank called me stating I had a late payment and it was going to be taken to collections. I told them that I had deferred payment until XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX I made a payment of {$1000.00}. It was received. Due to Comenity wanting to call collections on me just after a few weeks I decided I wanted to pay off the loan as fast as possible to get them off my back. I had no penalties for early payment. This month I got my first paper statement from Comenity and realized that my billing period was from the XXXX of each month. The due date for payments was the XXXX and the closing date was the XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX I made another payment of {$900.00}. Instead Comenity took {$1800.00} from my bank account. I had to call them to refund me {$900.00}. Which they did. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX I made another payment for {$200.00}. I did not get a paper statement for this billing period. I knew from my first statement my bills were due on the XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX I made a payment of {$200.00}. 

XX/XX/XXXX I made my final payment of {$2900.00}. The due date was XX/XX/XXXX and the closing date of the bill was XX/XX/XXXX. Again I never got a paper statement from Comenity so I checked XXXX who reported my balance with Comenity as {$0.00}. Between XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX I checked my account daily to make sure I didn't have a balance. 

On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX I got a notifcation from XXXX that I had a missed payment from Comenity of {$43.00}. When I tired to call customer service to find out why I had that fee they couldn't access my account as I didn't have my account number. My account number had been XXXX  out on my statement, The agent told me go online and I can be able to see what the late fee is. When I logged in online, I saw Comenity charged me an interest on XX/XX/XXXX with a due date of XX/XX/XXXX. I also saw that the bank enrolled me in paper less statements which I never agreed to. There was no way for me to even be made aware of this " fee ''. 

I paid the fee on XX/XX/XXXX, online through their portal the due date was on XX/XX/XXXX and I was given a confirmation number that my payment was successful. My online account was updated and my balance went to {$0.00}. I also called an agent to make sure the payment went through and I was reassured it was. I asked if that would be my last payment they confirmed it was. 

I then disputed the late fee with Comenity who took it off my credit report. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I got a call from Comenity on a Sunday on a no caller ID saying I didnt make the payment and I was now being charged {$80.00} in late fees and interest fees. They said they would be taking m to collections. When I asked how my payment could be late I paid three weeks in advance they told me I had insufficient funds. I told them that wasn't true as my account was updated to {$0.00}. They insisted that I didnt hve enough money. 

When I logged into my online portal I saw the payment was actually successful and Comenity instead of accepting the payment returned the payment to me. Comenity then charged me a return fee for {$21.00} which I didnt know about and it went pass due resulting in the current {$80.00} I have to pay. 

I paid the {$80.00} and called customer service to find out if it went through they told me yes. I asked if that will be the last payment they said no that I have a {$2.00} interest fee to pay in XXXX. I said why the interest has already been charged in the current statement. They said the interest is for the {$80.00} balance owed from the due date to the date paid so interest accrued. I explained yes I know but the interest has already been included on the current bill. Now I have another delinquency on my credit report because Comenity returned my payment and charged me a fee for the return they made. 

I checked my balance and my balance is {$0.00} currently and has been since XX/XX/XXXX. It has been five months and I have been paying fees on a {$0.00}. These fees are always added after I make a payment in the middle of the billing cycle. Comenity doesn't send me a paper statement and they have no exact time when they upload the electronic statements online.

I can't even check my Comenity online account from my phone because the bank has limited access to the portal through my laptop and blocks other IP addresses from signing in. So if I have to make a payment or check the status of my account I have to wait until I am at home. I can't make payments from my phone as result and payments are due before XXXX XXXX each day. So if I am working and I have to pay Comenity I have to either rush home before XXXX XXXX to pay or carry my lap top with me. Why is paying a bill so hard? Why is it every time I make a final payment I get another surprise fee just before the due date?

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief