Consumer complaint received 2021-04-19
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: VT
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
Please see below copy of letter send to President of Comenity Capital Bank : XX/XX/2021 XXXX XXXX XXXX President of XXXX Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX OH XXXX Reference : XXXX XXXX XXXX Account ending - XXXX Dear XXXX XXXX XXXX, I am writing this letter in response to a promotional interest charge that I am disputing. I am asking you for your considering in setting this ongoing dispute. 

On XX/XX/2021, I wrote a check payable to Comenity -Alphareon in the amount of {$4200.00}, check number XXXX, Drawn off XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX This was mailed out on XX/XX/2021 at my local post office in XXXX, Vermont XXXX. This check was to pay off my promotional balance which was needed to be paid off by XX/XX/2021 to avoid any additional service charges. 

In XXXX, I am sorry I do not recall the exact date, I received a statement showing a large balance, this concerned me therefore I called XXXX ( Comenity at XXXX and found out they did not receive my check, therefore an interested charge of {$4000.00} was added to my balance. I was very shocked as I explained I mailed the check out in plenty of time. As I said above, I mailed the check out myself at my local post office, in XXXX, Vermont. I was told by a customer service rep that I would need to dispute the transactions and did so while I was on the phone. I asked the customer service rep several times, if I should pay the amount of the check that I sent out and I was told not until they further investigated the dispute as if the check does show up, I would then have a credit. I was told it would take about two to three weeks to hear back regarding my dispute. 

On XX/XX/2021, I had not heard anything regarding my dispute, so I called XXXX XXXX to see if they had found my check. This was a very frustrating call as I was told my dispute was denied due to, I needed to show them proof of my check. I explained I mailed the check out and I have no proof of it. They asked me if I had a duplicate copy of my check, and unfortunately, I do not have the duplicate checks as I dont write many checks from this account, the lady I spoke to told me that was a shame, which I felt was not very professional. I asked to be transferred to someone else higher up as I wanted another answer. I was transferred to another supervisor who told me, that there was nothing she could do, that I should have paid it over the phone or online. Which again was very unprofessional as it states on the statement to write a check and mail it out with an envelop provided. Also, this customer service rep also said, that there is no guarantee on the mail so she would of thought with something so sensitive I would have paid it online or over the phone. I than asked to speak there her supervisor and I was transferred a third time and this time ; I was told there was nothing Comenity could do as once an interest charge is posted there is nothing they can do as it is a system thing, and it can not be reversed. At that time, it was been over an hour of being sent from supervisor to supervisor. I called my mother who works at a small credit union in Vermont in the Compliance Department, and she explained to me that if they wanted to, they could reverse the interest charge as it can done, as her credit union has made adjustments to help their members when it is something out of their members control. I feel this is out of my control and it must have got lost in the mail or is sitting somewhere at Comentiy. 
On XX/XX/2021, I went to by local post office where the bill was mailed and asked the postal worker if by chance the bill, I drop off a month ago could of falling somewhere at the post office and never went out. The lady that works at our local post office told me she would look but she remembers me sending it out as I never purchase stamps and she put the stamp on the bill and put it in the outgoing mail spot. Our town is very small and have a very small post office not a lot of activity. I also was told if you needed to talk to her, she would be willing to do so, as she told me this is not right. 

I called back to talk to another supervisor on XX/XX/2021, to see if I get someone to listen to me and again, I was transferred to two supervisors who told me there is nothing they could do for me. I was told I would have another supervisor call me and I still have not heard from anyone. I wrote a letter on XX/XX/2021, to XXXX, asking again for someone to call me and help me resolve this and as of today XX/XX/2021, I have not heard back from anyone. 

I understand you do not know me as I am just anther account number, but I strongly feel I did everything in my power to make this right, by mailing out the check for the total amount due to avoid any additional interest fees. I did what the bill stated which was to pay the amount due before the due date, I wrote the check put it in the envelope you provided and put it in the mail and as soon as I noticed the charge did not come off my account, I called up right away. I am not sure at this point what to do. I am a single hard-working woman who works every day to get by and by added this crazy amount of {$4000.00} to my balance is something I am sick over. I was raised by my parents to be honest and own up to my mistakes and that is what I would do if I did not send out my check on time. 

I am asking for your help to resolve this issue. As I was told not to make my payment until my dispute is over, I feel that also was the wrong thing to tell me as, I am now accruing interest on a very large balance. As of today, I am going to make my payment of {$4200.00} which was the amount I wrote the check for. 
Thank you for your time and concertation on this matter. I look forward to resolving this matter quickly. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, VT XXXX CC : CFBP

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief