Consumer complaint received 2023-03-06
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: MN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
I applied for a new Discover card & was approved. Once I received my card, I activated it with Discover by calling their activation number on XX/XX/2023 & using their automated system to which it confirmed that my card was now activated. My only reason for getting this card was to transfer a balance & use their advertised 0 % Intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. On XX/XX/2023, I completed their online form for my balance transfer & received a confirmation that it would be processed within 5-7 days. On XX/XX/2023, I received an email from Discover stating that my balance transfer request was unable to be processed due to my " account status at the time of the request ''. On XX/XX/2023, I called Discover to find out what this meant. Their call center instructs you to enter in your last 4-digits of your SS # before transferring you to a Customer Service agent . The first agent I spoke with verified my name & phone number, informing me that they needed to reverify who I was by sending me a text code. I agreed to having this done through their " 3rd party service '' that they use. The Customer Service agent then tells me that their 3rd party service is unable to verify me by using my phone number. They asked me if I had another phone number. I responded " No, this is my primary phone number that I used for 10 years & other credit card companies including my bank have never had any issues with using my phone number or verifying my identify in order to be able to speak with me regarding my account ''. I suggested that they use my email address & the agent informs me that they are unable to use an email address ( yet, this government website that I am registering this complaint through uses an email to verify my identify .... but I digress ). The agent states that she needs to check on something & would need to put me on hold. She puts me on hold & hangs up on me. I call back & speak with agent # 2 letting her know what just happened. She attempts to help me but says the same thing .... Discover 's " 3rd party service '' that verifies account holders can not use my phone number to verify me. She tells me that I need to wait until XX/XX/2023 to be able to call back again to address my card concerns because without the verification, they are unable to speak with me regarding any account details. My complaint is that this unprofessional company had no problem processing my identity ( name, social security number, address, email, phone number, credit history, etc. ) to provide me with a credit card but can not do the bare minimum of verifying my identify with my primary phone number ( the ONLY verification that their 3rd party service allows ) in order to provide customer service to me over the phone & the entire purpose of my phone call to them was in regards to me not being able to use the credit card they gave to me in the manner to which they advertised me being able to use it. This has been the most unprofessional company that I have had to deal with & it seems that they are in over their head when it comes to doing the bare minimum. I fully regret getting a Discover card & having my identify information exposed to a company that doesn't seem to be conducting their financial division with full disclosure when it comes to their account holders.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation