Consumer complaint received 2018-03-12
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: MN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
I have 2 issues with XXXX XXXX : 1 ) I was very past due on my XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX  credit cards with XXXX XXXX.

I called to set up payment arrangements in early XX/XX/2018. The representative asked if he should use the bank account that I had provided in the past to pay the bill with on the XXXX  website. I agreed. I thought everything was fine. About a month later, I noted that neither of the agreed upon payments came out of my account, and so I called to find out what happened. The " customer service '' I experienced this time was outrageously rude, unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life with any company.

On this phone call, the first agent spoke to me in a very mean and sarcastic tone from the moment she got on the phone. No idea why. She also spoke over me to the point of not allowing me to speak. She then actually laughed at me when I told her that her behavior was highly unprofessional. At that point she continued to talk over me loudly in a mocking tone telling me that my bank account was closed. Most customer service agents remain emotionally neutral. These people are insane. Comenity must be a horrible place to work to have such belligerent " customer service '' agents. It was surreal. I asked to be transferred to someone else.

The woman I was transferred to was only marginally better than the first. She had a thick accent that was difficult to understand, and she spoke quickly, repeating my name over and over. When I asked politely if she would slow down she became indignant.

Aside from the verbal abuse, which was surreal, this company is refusing to make rational payment arrangements with me.

As it turned out, the first person I made payment arrangements with back in early XX/XX/XXXXused an old, closed bank account that, for some reason, was still registered with my online XXXX account even though I had provided XXXX  with the new bank account months ago. Had the first agent bothered to confirm banking information with me, everything would have worked out fine. I never would have gotten to the charge off point where I was subsequently backed into a corner where I was forced to either choose charge-off or a payment arrangement that does not work for me long term. They would no longer offer me a manageable 12 month payment arrangement, my only payment arrangement option was a 3 month arrangement with fairly manageable payment amounts for the first 3 months to become current, but after the 3 moth point I would be expected to make minimum payments of $ XXXX/month ( on a {$6500.00} total balance! ).

I explained that this was unmanageable for me, but the woman just kept yelling at me " what do you want me to do ... .ok, what do you want me to do? '' talking over me and getting angry with me because I was asking for another option. $ XXXX/month minimum on a $ 6000- {$6500.00} balance is outrageous.

It only got worse from there, with her also talking over me and actually making comments on my moral behavior by telling me I was a liar for using my husband 's bank account to make payments in the past?! Where do they find these people? What business is it of XXXX XXXX XXXX how my family administers payment to creditors?

Luckily, I recorded the conversation and took notes.

The other issue I have with XXXX   is their unwillingness to issue credit to me for an item I returned in the store and have a physical receipt from showing the return. I have literally spent 6 hours on the phone trying to get this resolved and I have still not been issued the credit due to me. I have never had a company behave this waytaking a return of a brand new unused item and then refusing to issue the credit due? Who does that?

I called in to XXXX TWICE in a good faith attempt to pay the debts I owe, and in return this company has been financially and verbally abusive with me. XXXX, tell me why I should continue to try and make good on this when all I get is abuse from your people?

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation