Consumer complaint received 2018-05-15
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: MO
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
Within the last 10 months I've had some drastic changes in my life, I just found out that my mother was diagnosed with XXXX and XXXX, she had no where to live and go along with no money. This account that I have with XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) I had now for two years never been late always on time and making payments as agreed, until I got the call that my mother was sick and had to relocate my family from XXXX, XXXX to XXXX, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. I've never hid from XXXX XXXX, I gave my current address and my phone number has never changed. I recently fell behind on my payments here in the last five months and I've been communicating with the company to let them know what has been going on. Well on XX/XX/XXXX I get a phone call from my father, stating that there was a message left on his machine for me, I listened on the phone because my father live in XXXX. Well it was XXXX XXXX and they left a very detailed message for me to contact them back. After I hung up with my father I proceeded to contact XXXX XXXX and spoke with Agent XXXX I think ; and she stated that I was behind and to verify my information, I proceeded to ask why did you contact my reference? My number hasn't changed its still the same, she proceeded to say they couldn't get a hold of me, that is not true. She then offered me a payment plan which the payments would be spreaded out in twelve months and they would waive the late fees, but the catch was I had to have an active bank account, in which I told them I don't have one at this time, but I would make the payments as agreed. She then told me that I see you pay all of your other bills on time through XXXX XXXX and I see you have a bank account on file, can you use that? I proceeded to let her know that is not my account. Well the only way you can get this budget plan is you have to have a bank account. The call ended, Well on XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX XXXX I get a call from Agent XXXX ext # XXXX and I explained to her what happend and she stated that the call I had previous she was sorry for what happened and she sees that I've never been late and that she sees something was wrong. So she worked out a budget plan with me where I make my first payment of {$110.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and going forward and that they would waive my late fees once I got caught up, and that she would note my account. Well I made my payment as agreed, I tried call Agent XXXX back and I haven't been able to talk with her for a while now. XXXX XX/XX/XXXX @ XXXX XXXX   I get a call from XXXX XXXX, It was another specialist and the phone call was for 15 mins explaining to me that my account is five months past due and what are you going to due to take care of this outstanding balance? The past due amount is {$520.00} including late fees and you total is {$2400.00}, I then tried to explain to her that I spoke with agent XXXX a month ago and I have arrangements with her to make a {$110.00} every month til caught up, she then explained to me that there is no notion or records of this arrangement, I then got upset and a little irate, and explained my situation once again. She then offered me the same budget plain as the agent from before, where my payments are broken up in twelve payments for a year do to my hardship of having a drastic change in my life so suddenly, she then stated that I qualified for the program by asking a few questions and then she ask if I had a bank account and then I stated that I haven't established one yet, but now that I'm getting back settled I would definitely be able to make my payments on time, she also stated that my payments would be {$100.00} a month for twelve months, I stated that I could continue to make {$110.00} every month she said that would be fine, but I need a bank account and I explained that I didn't have one and I could just log back in and make it like I've been doing, she then stated that wouldn't work and could I get a pre-paid card? I said no, she then stated that if your not going to corporate she will put me down as a refusal and that let my account go to the attorney ; s office and my credit would be effected and that there will be more late fees added. I then told her that wouldn't work for me and that you all are forcing me to get something that I can't at this time. In conclusion I'm just wanting some way and some how to take care of this bill in a way it is affordable for me and that I can pay every month til its paid off, I'm not running nor hiding, but this company is not trying to work with me, or trying to give some type of solution everything is involving me having a bank account so they can do automatic withdrawal from the account, I don't agree with that, and I'm willing to make these payments with other means, but they won't work with me at all. I'm willing to take the arrangement if there willing to let me pay it on my own, I'm in a position now where I can make my payments on time and be settled with the arrangements, but their telling me different. I have other accounts with Comenity bank and all of them has worked with me and now I'm caught up, but this particular one will not work with me without a bank account for automatic withdrawal. I was told by agent XXXX that it could be done without me having automatic withdrawal. Also every time some one calls me their not noting my account on the truth, their putting down that I'm refusing and that is not the case, I'm willing to cooperate with no problems, but their telling me to pay in full or further actions will be taking, I feel that's unfair and wrong when I'm trying to work with them.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief