Consumer complaint received 2020-10-08
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: AL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I purchased a rug from a XXXX XXXX store in the amount of approximately {$1000.00}. The rug was purchased on a 12 months no interest promotional plan. The amount was charged to my XXXX XXXX credit card issued by Comenity Bank. On XX/XX/XXXX, the item originally purchased ( rug ) was showing as backordered, so the company issued a credit to my card. However, instead of issuing the credit to the promotional balance, the credit was issued to my revolving account, unbeknown to me. In XXXX when the rug was finally shipped, I was charged on a second promotional plan the full price of the item ( ~ {$1000.00} ). In XX/XX/XXXX when I realized what had taken place with the error of the credit being applied to the wrong balance ( my statement was showing 2 separate promotional balances ), I called Comenity to get this fixed. After numerous phone calls and hours spent on the phone, on XX/XX/XXXX the dispute was closed. Instead of removing the incorrect promotional balance from XXXX and applying that amount to my revolving credit balance ( which would have fixed the problem ), the 2 promotional balances were combined into one large promotional balance now consisting of almost double the amount I paid for the original item purchased ( the rug ). I never received any  kind of letter from the dispute department showing these actions were taken, and I did not know until I received a statement the next billing cycle that instead of removing the incorrect promotional balance from XXXX, they combined it with the correct promotional balance from XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX dispute # 2 was opened with the customer service representative with Comenity typing extremely detailed notes into my file for the dispute department to view. On XX/XX/XXXX, the dispute was closed because more information was needed. On XX/XX/XXXX I was issued a letter ( I received it via USPS the following week ) requesting in writing details concerning  my dispute. I called on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to a supervisor ( XXXX - ID # XXXX ) who informed me to send a statement in writing through the online messaging system. On XX/XX/XXXX I sent a very informative letter via the online messaging system. On XX/XX/XXXX, dispute # 3 was opened ( I was under the impression this was still dispute # 2, as I was not informed dispute # 2 was closed on XX/XX/XXXX ). Until yesterday ( XXXX ) when I called to check the status of the dispute, I was under the impression the dispute was being investigated, as I never received any further communication after receiving acknowledgement via the secure messaging system that my letter sent on XX/XX/XXXX was received. When I called yesterday, I was informed that dispute # 3 was opened on XX/XX/XXXX and promptly closed on XX/XX/XXXX. None of the 3 customer service representatives, nor the 1 supervisor I have spoken to in the past 24 hours can explain to me why dispute # 3 was closed in 2 days without any kind of documentation.

I am attaching a copy of the letter I sent to Comenity Bank on XX/XX/XXXX, after they requested more information from me in writing. I have asked to speak to someone in the dispute department multiple times, but the response I am always given is " they do not have phones. '' The 3 different supervisors I have spoken to since this ordeal began back in XXXX have not been able to provide me with any real assistance or explanation, other than each time providing me with the assurance that their detailed notes will be understood by the dispute department. This has yet to happen, and dispute # 4 was opened yesterday ( XXXX ). 

I have never experienced anything like this with a financial institution where a billing error clearly on their end is refusing to be corrected. Currently, my 12 months interest free promotional plan is set to expire with my balance being greater than the original purchase price. I will end up paying accrued interest on money I have already paid previous interest on ( my revolving balance ). I am currently at a loss as to what to do. I am a high school teacher trying to teach remotely in the middle of a global pandemic, and I have XXXX  XXXX  at home. I have spent at least a total of 25 hours trying to get this  corrected, and yet it is still not correct. I have previously requested all information listed in the notes of my file with Comenity, including the dates and times of all the phone calls made to customer service. I have not been successful in obtaining this information. I would greatly appreciate any help and assistance you can provide. I feel at this point, after the experience I have had with Comenity, along with the violation of my rights outlined in the Fair Credit Billing Act ( failure to notify me in writing of closing dispute cases and failure to notify me in writing of the outcome of dispute cases ), the amount in question should be greatly diminished and my promotional period be extended.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief