Consumer complaint received 2022-01-12
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: OR
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Frequent or repeated calls

Complaint:
To Whom It XXXX Concern : Since XXXX of XXXX, my income vanished. The pandemic put a stop to my newly started " business '' of working events and festivals. This was an endeavor that I had just started in the fall of XXXX. Things were starting to take off when the pandemic stopped everything. I have been scrambling to keep a roof over my head and to find work. The job market in XXXX is not rebounding and the city is in shambles ( regardless of what the reports say ). I still haven't found work. 

I defaulted on all of my credit cards in XXXX and stopped paying my monthly IRS bills because I was out of money. I continued to pay my Discover card because the minimum payment was {$40.00}. per month. I haven't used it since before XXXX of XXXX. The balance was and remains {$1200.00} though I've paid each month until XXXX of XXXX when I missed a payment by 35 days. 

The IRS told me I couldn't continue making payments to other creditors when I couldn't keep payment them, but with the low obligation, I kept paying. When I logged into my Discover account to make XXXX months of payments which should have been {$82.00}, instead they wanted {$190.00}! and told me my payments would now rise to {$89.00} per month until I could prove my worthiness. I replied explaining that their charges were a hardship and told them I'd had the card for many years and NEVER missed a payment until now. I told them how the pandemic impacted me and they basically repeated their " offer '' of help which increased my payments. I told them to CLOSE MY ACCOUNT and stop incurring additional fees. I told them I was unable to pay and saw no clearing in the near future to continue payments based upon the entirety of my financial and job situation. 

Months later, they have kept my account open and they continue to rack up charges when the total balance was only {$1200.00}. I have written and spoken to them and told them to close the account. Instead of closing the account and sending me a final statement, they call all day long every single day. Minutes after XXXX and up to XXXX each night. They are not the only creditors calling, and coming to my door! 

I don't know how a person can think let alone catch a job-related call when this kind of collection effort is happening. I don't know what it takes to stop the interest from accruing and to close an account but I DO NOT AGREE TO ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES OR FEES ACCRUED AFTER XX/XX/XXXX WHEN I TOLD THEM TO CLOSE MY ACCOUNT. 

Here is a copy of the letter I mailed to Discover Card Services on XX/XX/XXXX. It was printed and mailed at XXXX XXXX and the receipts are not only in my records but the postal center can verify this was mailed. I have also spoken with Discover via their message app : Dear Discover Card Services, I apologize for my inability to make my payments to Discover in a timely manner. I am unemployed and without money. I am also in debt to the IRS and multiple other financial institutions for substantial sums. 

I tried to make my last payments to you and though I was late, what should have been approximately XXXX XXXXwith your added feeswas increased to {$190.00}. 

I wrote to you via your messaging option. The person offered a slightly lower minimum payment, {$110.00} ( I think ) but wanted {$89.00} per month moving forward. My payments were usually around {$41.00} and I could barely eek by paying that. 

I was trying to keep up on this account because of the lower monthly amount, frankly, I shouldnt have. Ive not asked for any kind of Covid relief until this point, though my financial situation is terrible. The additional fees youve imposed make it impossible for me to continue. 

Ive submitted a request via email and the message application and I wanted to formalize it please close my credit card account. I would appreciate it if you could mail and email me the final balance, which I will not be able to pay. I need a record of the amount due for when I am able to. 

Thank you, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation