Consumer complaint received 2023-02-23
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: IL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt was paid

Complaint:
I have contacted Comenity Bank through XXXX. The first time I spoke with the customer care team was on XX/XX/XXXX I spoke with XXXX badge number XXXX. I have spent several hours on the phone with various representatives from customer service including managers. XXXX and XXXX, were particularly rude and provided no help at all. In fact, they laughed at me when I explained that I the terms and conditions on credit application in which I signed stated I would pay 14.99 % interest rate for 36 months.This company has been charging me with 29.99 % interest for the past year and it was not brought to my attention until recently as my fiance was in charge of my bill for my household and this purchase was an engagement ring. The representatives filed XXXX separate disputes after several hours on the phone and continued to tell me that the XXXX XXXX must have input the purchase wrong and there was nothing Comenity Bank would be able to do. I have gone back and forth between Comenity Bank and the XXXX XXXX. The XXXX XXXX has been more than helpful, in fact the last time I called the store manager was able to return and re-ring the purchase taking into account the amounts that I have paid with the correct interest and I paid the difference of the balance. So, I am now paid in full for the purchase of the ring with the appropriate interest. However, after the store communicated this to Comenity Bank, the bank is still refusing to update the account with the transaction at the store. Comenity Bank is trying to say that I owe them over a thousand dollars. I did file a motion with the XXXX of Ohio and they directed me to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to file a complaint. 

On XX/XX/XXXX my fiance and I purchased a wedding ring and engagement set from XXXX and used the store credit card through Comenity Bank to charge {$2200.00} for 36 months of 14.99 % interest as stated in the details of my plan. However, they have been charging me at 29.99 % interest since an unknown date after the first payment of {$120.00} was made. I have paid well over the remaining balance and called to file disputes 7 times. XXXX originally told me to reach out to XXXX because the store is the one who input something incorrectly, and they could resolve the error. XXXX went through the process with me and charged me for the remaining balance, and sent this information to XXXX. Comenity supervisors & managers as well as the store indicated that my purchase was eligible for the 36 months for 14.99 % as stated in the " details of my plan ''. Several of them indicated they had seen this happen to other consumers. XXXX laughed at me when I stated that the account had been charged at 29.99 % and I had never seen the statements due to the purchase being an engagement ring and my fiance being in charge of all financial accounts for our household. Once I took over the finances, I began reaching out to Comenity Bank, who continued to place the burden on the XXXX store. I bounced back and forth between XXXX and XXXX during the disputes. XXXX store manager indicated that they never actually received any disputes or requests from XXXX. The XXXX store manager, XXXX and her corporate leaders, did an amazing job working on this and providing a resolution. Even after XXXX reprocessed the transaction and charged me the remaining balance to be paid in full, and sent this information to XXXX, they are unwilling to update the account. XXXX only processed {$130.00} of that transaction sent from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX is still demanding over {$1200.00}. XXXX stated to the CFPA that my account was reviewed and no adjustments were needed. 

I finally found the location of the most recent response that Comenity Bank had sent to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In their response, they indicated that, " Weve reviewed the XX/XX/XXXX, return of {$130.00}. XXXX advised that in the return, {$2000.00} was returned as a cash refund and {$130.00} was returned to your XXXX The XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Credit Card. '' None of which was an accurate description of what happened. XXXX was attempting to resolve the issue that one of the employees who processed a return of wedding band as well as the previous engagement ring that I upgraded. XXXX did not apply the amounts of " cash '' to my credit account as they were asked to do. They are claiming that the money was returned to me and it was not. Comenity has since sold the inacurate debt to XXXX XXXX, who is now still trying to collect {$1700.00}. None of which was legally charged to my account according to my original purchase agreement. XXXX is alleging that I owe fees of {$360.00} and interest of {$450.00} total charged in XXXX ; in addition to the inaccurate total fees of {$140.00} and interest of {$550.00} in XXXX. Which is almost exactly what they are accusing me of owing, all accrued at the interest rate of XXXX percent, that was not the 0 % for a year and 14 % thereafter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation