Consumer complaint received 2019-12-07
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive enough information to verify debt

Complaint:
I purchased a cosmetic bag and 2 body products at Victoria Secret ( VS ),  on XX/XX/XXXX, and charged the items to my VS store credit card. Purchase total, {$18.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a collection notice from XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, MA, XXXX indicating my account is overdue. Current balance now {$250.00}. ( copy of letter enclosed ). 

Upon calling the customer service line at VS, I was directed to Comenity Bank ( corporate headquarters XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, DE XXXX ) as they hold VS credit card accounts. After spending 3 days on the phone speaking to a number of customer service and recovery center representatives I was told that my account had been sold to XXXX  XXXX   XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, Texas XXXX ) and got nothing but a lot of run around and a lot of brush off. ( Please note I received no other contact from Comenity bank either through phone or e-mail address. Though I believe an old phone number was listed, again, due to system error/failure per next paragraph ) After another call to Comenity Bank, on XX/XX/XXXX, a customer service representative, XXXX, did indicate my address had been changed as of XX/XX/XXXX, to an address of XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX NY. This is my previous ( last ) address. My current address, where I have resided for 10+ years, is XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX NY . In fact I received my last VS statement in XX/XX/XXXX at this current address. Therefore, all VS statements from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX were mailed to my previous address. When I asked how the address got changed, no one could answer my question directly, other than the system had changed it. ( Please note at no time this year ( XXXX XXXX did I call Comenity Bank to change my address back to a previous address of XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX NY ) I requested to have the XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX statements mailed to me. I received such said statements on XX/XX/XXXX, from Comenity Bank. Confirmed, the statements were addressed to my previous address, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX NY XXXX ( Copies enclosed ). 

I mailed the copies of the billing statements to XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX addressed to XXXX XXXX, Collection Supervisor again indicating the statements were mailed to my old address. I have also enclosed the statement from XXXX of XXXX with my current address. After discussing situation with XXXX XXXX, he asked what I would be willing to pay and that he would go back to Comenity Bank to negotiate. I said I would be willing to pay the {$18.00} for the items I purchased and in good faith, I am also willing to pay one late fee charge of {$37.00}. Total of {$55.00}. 

In the meantime, I also wrote a letter ( and sent copies of the billing statements ) to the President of Comenity Bank, Mr. XXXX XXXX, asking assistance with regards to the situation. ( copy of letter enclosed ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX to follow up on the situation. He told me he had been trying to call me. ( Note, I received one call from XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX phone number ( XXXX ) XXXX and no message was left. ) He told me that Comenity Bank did not agree to the {$55.00}, but agreed to a settlement of {$110.00}. My understanding that if I agree to the settlement ( and not pay the full amount of {$250.00} ) it will negatively impact my credit report for 7 years.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief