Consumer complaint received 2018-11-13
Company: Army and Air Force Exchange Service
State: WA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill
Sub-issue: Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship

Complaint:
Hi guys, Okay here 's the deal. I have been fighting to get a settlement offer ( for my Military Star Credit Card ) worked through with The Army and Airforce Exchange ( AAFES ) for over a year. Here 's the chronology and extenuating circumstance details : This credit card debt was charged up by my ex-wife, while I was XXXX during our marriage, from XXXX to XXXX. I took on the debt in our divorce in XXXX, because she was unable to afford it and because she's the primary caretaker of our children. Therefore, I did not want to put her in a hardship Even though I am responsible for this debt, by proxy, I was hoping ( since I did not myself charge it up ) to be able to settle it. So, in XXXX of XXXX, I called AAFES customer support, and I was told ( by the customer service rep that I spoke to on the phone ) that AAFES would not accept settlement offers unless my account was in collections At the time my payments were set to a flat {$99.00} per month, and on the advice of the service rep, I stopped making payments after XXXX. The rep also told me that it would take until XXXX for my account to go into collections. In XXXX it did go into collections. At that time, I called to try and arrange a settlement offer and was told that no settlement offers were accepted during tax season and I would need to wait until XXXX From XXXX to XXXX I wrote many letters, emails, spoke to many people and tried to determine if there was some way to fix the predicament that AAFES customer service staff had put me into. I kept getting conflicting information and no one seemed to be willing to help me. In fact, most of the emails that the phone staff directed me to send, never received replies and the decisions that AAFES made based on my emails, were never communicated to me, until I called to get a status report After XXXX, when I tried get back in contact with both AAFES, and the collection agency that they sent me to, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) I was told that my account needs to be delinquent for 27 months before AAFES what entertain a settlement. XXXX always blamed the lack of willingness to settle, and all of the restrictions/criteria or settling on AAFES, however, when I would call AAFES directly, I was told, contradictory information, but that XXXX had control now and AAFES would not deal with me. On 1 occasion, an AAFES phone rep told me that XXXX didn't want me to settle because it would mean less money for them On XXXX of XXXX, my balance was {$7400.00}. At the time of collections it had risen to {$8200.00}. Because of all of the interest and my inability to afford the adjusted {$220.00} a month payment, ( realized after collections had been entered into ), the latest balance owed that I am aware of, was {$10000.00}. Over {$3000.00} in interest, all because I was improperly handled by your customer service. I also get conflicting amounts owed when speaking to XXXX phone reps, vs the letters I get in the mail Had this been a debt that I charged up myself, I would not even be asking for a settlement. However, I am doing my best to work with these companies & I am not getting anything but misinformation in return. I've even gone so far as to send a check for {$6000.00} to XXXX offering to settle, only to have the check returned I am trying to be responsible and settle this thing to the best of my ability. But I feel like both AAFES & XXXX just want to rake me over the coals, and squeeze me for every cent they can. After 15 years of honorable military service, I feel very mistreated by a company that is supposed to support our Army & Airforce Additionally, I am in a legal battle with my ex-wife over our children, and that is not only expensive, but also it is affecting my ability to work, in my commission/performance based career field. So my money is not flowing heavily right now. I would really appreciate these companies coming to the table and helping me work this out so that we can both benefit as much as possible without trying to XXXX over the other guy. At this point, I still have {$6000.00} that I can hand them right now, to settle this. And settlement offers go I think that's fair, because that's what I was offering back in XXXX of XXXX, which was only roughly {$1500.00} less than the total balance. I do not believe it is fair to try and get me to pay this {$3000.00} plus worth of misrepresented Interest I understand that both AAFES & XXXX are businesses with interests, and I am not trying to Discount any of that. At this point, I just want them to deal with this with me, like human beings I sent them this information in an email, on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. Again, I got no reply, but when I called, I was told again that they simply declined my request. I'm really hoping the ATG can help me. No credit settling agencies that I have called have been any help either. Thank you so much for your time & consideration. I look forward to your reply XXXX XXXX XXXX Former XXXX U.S. Army

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation