Consumer complaint received 2015-04-09
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY
State: MA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card
Issue: Improper contact or sharing of info
Sub-issue: Talked to a third party about my debt

Complaint:
My Claim and situation surrounds a recent issue with the Credit Dept. of Target Corp., and it could have also been characterized into '' Communicaton Tactics '' as well as their staff having made " False Misrepresentations, '' both from the above drop-down menu. 
My wife and I maintain an excellent Credit Rating/History. I am a Senior, currently XXXX and, therefore, on a fixed income. For years I have paid most of my bills on-line, but prefer receiving bills through the mail. With some reservation, I switched to a Paperless Billing Option with Target around the XXXX of this year, and made my regular XXXX payment. 

However, on XXXX XXXX, upon browsing the Target website with the purpose of placing an order, it dawned on me that I 'd not received any ( paper or electronic ) communications from this store for months. I checked my on-line Account, and I was startled to see that I, indeed, owed for two months ( @ {$25.00} each ) plus Penalty and Interest. I was chagrinned that I received no communications, so I phoned Customer Service and spoke with XXXX ( on XXXX ). He was very helpful, but could n't explain why I had n't received any e-mailed Invoices or Notices. He thought it best that I pay {$100.00} to cover through XXXX, which I did. When I asked, he checked and assured me that my Account had NOT been reported to any of the Credit Reporting Bureaus ( That is the XXXX Party to which I refer. ). I did n't argue the penalties, as I accepted some responsibility for not checking my Aacount online sooner ; I was very relieved NOT to have been reported. I then changed back to mailed invoices ; end of story? NO .... 

On XXXX I got a Collection Letter from Target 's Credit Dept DATED XXXX, before I contacted them, AND, the ONLY communication I received from them at all, breaching Section 809-A, I believe, of Fair Debt Collection Practices. I called the phone number on that letter and spoke with a woman named XXXX who provided contradictory info to that from XXXX ; I WAS reported to Credit Bureaus. She, seeming very understanding and acknowledging all of years as a customer, assured me she would provide me with a number of their Target Financial Specialist who works with these Bureaus and could revoke the reporting. I called. It was the number of Experian!! 

I called Target back and asked for XXXX, but XXXX was n't sure who that was and could n't see a record of my having called. Now, being very very livid, I asked for a Supervisor, and explained it all to XXXX, the Supervisor. She did display empathy, but there 's nothing she could do, she said, because, " Those are the rules. '' I told her that I never got any communications of any invoices. Then, I asked how far after the due-date, when I am deemed " Late, '' does Target take action : 2 days. 

None of the timing made sense, from the original lack of electronic Invoicing, the lack of consistency with what I was told being referred to Experience and not a Target resource, being told on XXXX that I was all set, when a Collection Letter had been sent four days prior ... .a letter that does not indicate my having been reported and only asks for {$61.00} and gives me 30 days to refute. 

Thanks for allowing me to be so verbose.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation