Consumer complaint received 2017-09-23
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: DE
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
In approximately XX/XX/XXXX, I received a bill with a late fee attached from Discover card - whom I have been a longstanding, good faith customer. Perplexed - because I have had electronic payments in place for years - I called them to inquire. They explained that every so many years customers electronic payments become void. I advised that I was not notified of this, they apologized, saying they 'd remove the late fee and we just needed to go through the process of reinstituting electronic payments again. I supplied my routing number and was told all was good to go. They again apologized stating I was a good customer that they did not want to lose. 
The following month I again received a late fee on my bill. This time I was much more perplexed and frankly, annoyed. I called again XX/XX/XXXX and asked immediately for a supervisor. I finally was connected with one who once again apologized profusely and said they must have entered my routing number incorrectly ... and I would have to go through the whole process of supplying that all over again. I reluctantly agreed - thinking I should just cancel the card - but was assured they would finally make it right this time. They again said they would absolutely remove the late fee due to their error. 
Nothing else happened ... until earlier this week when - in the middle of a real estate transaction - I received a call from my mortgage company saying they had bad new : Discover credit card reported a late payment to the credit bureaus from XX/XX/XXXX,  which plummeted my score almost 50 points! I was disturbed to say the least. 
I contacted their executive office that day and spoke with XXXX. I explained the situation and asked that they expedite rectifying this situation - for the third time now - by supplying me with a letter that they would move to remove that incorrect report from my credit report. He said the normal time it would take to look into it was 2 days but he would try to expedite the request and would return my call that day. The next day - after no return phone call - I called again. I supplied XXXX with further documentation from my phone calls in XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX - including whom I spoke with what they said. He concurred that everything I said matched what he saw documented, said he would check on where the decision was, and again said he would call me back - either way - that day. 
After receiving no return call, I called again the next day and left a message on their voicemail. No return call. 
I called again the next morning and asked to please be transferred to someone else to handle this matter. I was told by XXXX that they are not allowed to transfer any matter once it starts with a certain person there but that XXXX would call me back when he got in that morning. Later that afternoon - after no return phone call - I called again. They eventually transferred me to XXXX who reluctantly explained that after " they '' reviewed the tape from my call in XX/XX/XXXX ( because " XX/XX/XXXX was too old '' and they destroy tapes after a certain time ) " they '' are calling this matter " undetermined '' because they could n't quite decide if they recorded my routing number in error or that maybe I stating my routing number incorrectly. I asked who " they '' were and he said " management ''. I told him that they could not possibly have listened to that tape and concluded that it was not their error, because they would have heard how upset I was that I was again taking time to deal with their mistake and the manager from discover apologizing profusely and admitting that they made the error. He then added that he also listened to the tape. So I confirmed with him exactly what he should have heard and he agreed but left room for " the fact '' it was n't completely clear who made the error. I told XXXX that since we had been getting to know each other all week - I could tell that he did n't even believe what he was telling me! I told him all week he had been telling me what he ca n't do to help and I wanted to know what he could do to help..? He said he had asked them again to make " an exception ''. ( Not sure what that means, but given the circumstances, I assume he means an exception to them ever admitting - at least in writing - that they make a mistake! ) I told him since my hands are tied, and now after they have made 3 mistakes -  the last of which could cost me a real estate transaction - which they will not rectify - I will be contacting an attorney and/or media for a remedy, as clearly I was getting no where myself. 
After speaking with a good friend who works for a large bank, I am contacting CFPB, as he said you are the ones who will get this done. 
I would greatly appreciate any and all assistance you can provide to help protect this consumer, and other consumers, from these erroneous and frivolous acts of big businesses like Discover credit card.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation