Consumer complaint received 2023-10-09
Company: Atlanticus Services Corporation
State: PA
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
I made a purchase at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and opened the company-suggested credit card ( Fortiva ) which promised zero interest for 12 months to finance. I immediately signed up for monthly automatic payments by entering my bank information using the Fortiva website. A monthly deduction of {$120.00} was made without any issue ( and is still being deducted as I wait for this issue to be resolved ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX, several weeks before the end of the 12-month interest deferment I made the final payment of {$840.00} using the Fortiva website ( as usual ) in order to avoid interest. I received notice on the website that the web payment was received including a thank you message. On XX/XX/XXXX, nearly three weeks later, an additional monthly payment of {$120.00} was deducted. Unbeknownst to me, the final payment I had made on XX/XX/XXXX of {$840.00} had been reversed by Fortiva, As I am not enrolled in paperless billing, this was not communicated to me until I received my monthly statement in the mail in XXXX, past the date of the promotional expiration. I was shocked to see the payment reversal and the new additional interest charge of {$530.00}. Especially given the fact that my automatic payments always go through without a problem and I used the same payment method/source. 

I called Fortiva Customer Service on XX/XX/XXXX around XXXX. I explained my concern that my payment was reversed and interest had been applied and that I'd like to pay off the balance again and have the interest removed. I was told by the representative that they could not tell me why my payment had been reversed and that there was nothing they could do about it since I was past the promotional expiration. I explained that it was not communicated to me that the payment was reversed and the service agent stated that notice of the reversal was in the XX/XX/XXXX statement, again too late to make the payment on time. She later backtracked, stating that there would be no record of this transaction on Fortiva 's end because of " invalid information '' with my banking information. When I asked to verify what account and banking information I had entered ( since I had used the same information saved in the automatic payments ) the customer service agent became defensive and hostile. She refused to provide any additional information or guidance to resolve the issue, including any actual proof that the transaction failed because of misinformation. She repeatedly insisted that the XX/XX/XXXX statement was the only notice, as the account " cycled '' not resulting in the full interest charge. 

She repeatedly insisted that the information in the bill payment portal was somehow incorrect causing the transaction to fail, even though this payment information has been working for the last 11 months. 

When I asked about communicating with my bank regarding the failed transaction, the customer service agent insisted that there was no record of the transaction, that it must be an incorrect account number and therefore there would be no transaction history or evidence from my bank. She said if I could have my bank confirm the payment on their end, they could perhaps forgive a percentage of the interest. I asked to speak to a manager and she told me that no matter who I spoke to, the answer would be the same. 

The agent aggressively terminated the call at about XXXX by hanging up on me and stating, " I've already explained everything, XXXX XXXX. Goodbye. '' I was confused and in tears. 

I called my bank and found proof of the payment, but my bank could see no reason for the payment being reversed. I called Fortiva and spoke to a new representative, with my bank on the line who confirmed the payment had been attempted on my end. The agent offered to forgive a portion of the interest, but not the entirety. I requested a call from the corporate office. 

I received a call on XX/XX/XXXX from the corporate office. They were understanding and agreed that I could pay off the new balance of {$770.00} ( the original balance of {$840.00} minus the automatic payment of XXXX made on XX/XX/XXXX ) and they would remove the interest and my account would be at XXXX. 

I made the payment later that week, again through the Fortiva website and received confirmation on the screen. However, the payment never reflected on my account. Since I used the Fortiva website, my bank was unable to confirm and Fortiva claims to have no record ( as they claimed in prior conversations in XXXX ). The customer service agent repeatedly lost signal could not answer my questions and ended the call prematurely. 

I am feeling defeated and disrespected after months of making timely payments, paying off the balance prior to the promotional expiration only to have my payments reversed or erased. I continue to have the monthly deduction but have been unable to pay off the balance despite my attempts, therefore I have since been charged additional interest totaling {$600.00}.

In researching the company, I have found many similar complaints. I feel like I am being taken advantage of, and can not get a clear answer or my issue resolved. I took out the card to build my credit, knowing I would pay it off prior to the promotional expiration. I am a responsible customer, making payments consistently and on time. I have made two efforts to pay off my purchase in order to avoid the extremely high interest of 35.99 % to no avail. As I have told the company many times, I just want to pay off my balance as I attempted to do on XX/XX/XXXX, without the unjustified interest charges.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation