Consumer complaint received 2017-10-18
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Struggling to pay your bill
Sub-issue: Credit card company won't work with you while you're going through financial hardship

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX this year I requested DISCOVER CARD to lower their APR so I could pay off the balance, due to financial difficulties.

Since XX/XX/XXXX when I started with DISCOVER credit card, the company offered me 1 yr 0 % APR 's on any transfers throughout the years, perhaps due to the fact I 've never missed a monthly payment. Because I never missed a payment in my 5 year tenure with DISCOVER or on any of my bills, and with their track record of offering 0 % APR 's on transfers, I assumed when I told DISCOVER I had financial difficulties back in XX/XX/XXXXthey 'd at least lower the 21.99 % APR that 's on my $ XXXX K of debt.. so I could pay-off my card and not declare bankcruptcy. 

Currently their APR has me paying {$380.00} a month - None of that amount goes to decreasing my debt!! 

I ca n't afford more than {$400.00} a month to pay to my DISCOVER card - and {$380.00} of it is NOT decreasing my bill!! That 's strictly APR payment. The remainder {$20.00} I must re-use for food / gas. So every month -- I 'm no where to paying off this card!! 


Due to the economy and grave RENT increases every 10 mo 's since XX/XX/XXXX, I 've been forced to max-out this card and use other XXXX - and finally I am starting to be able to pay it off.. if DISCOVER lowers their 21.99 % APR to an original card member amount.. 
.. 
.. 

An example of DISCOVER 's repeated responses to my requests via their website, where I reiterated even with Live Chat that I do n't want card suspension - I just want to pay off my card. Please lower my APR so I can pay off my card. Their response : -- -- -- - Original Message -- -- -- -- Date : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX Subject : Re : Other APR Questions [ # XXXX ] Sender : Discover Card Customer Service Hello ..., Thank you for your message regarding your Discover account. I understand your concern, and I am happy to assist you today! We do n't usually reduce annual percentage rates ( APR ) on existing balances. EXCEPTIONS INCLUDE CUSTOMERS THAT MAY HAVE A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, which may require suspension of your account.? Something that may be helpful in paying your card down is our Paydown Planner. It 's a free tool to help you view how long it will take to pay off your balance. .. " ..
..
" Paydown Planner '' is a calculator -! See  attached # 1. 

Does n't " ca n't afford it '' equate to " financial hardship '' -? And in my anger at the time I even noted hey I 'm going to XXXX and XXXX about this, it 's so wrong they 're not taking my " ca n't afford it '' and excellent payment track record to simply lower my 21.99 % APR ... to which they responded they 're sorry, but the APR is fine.. 
.. 

THEN IT GETS WORSE - after all those emails since XX/XX/XXXX of me asking DISCOVER to please lower the 21.99 % APR, I ca n't afford it, DISCOVER sends me a letter XX/XX/XXXX saying they 're going to INCREASE my monthly payments, because it 's been overdrawn.. (!!!!!!! ) See attached # 2. 

What happens as noted is I 've been paying $ XXXX monthly -- of which {$380.00} goes to the APR ( not to decreasing the debt amount ) and {$20.00} has to be reused for food. So nothing is decreased -- - and then a 21.99 % APR is added again that month. This merry-go-round of paying DISCOVER $ XXXX monthly but no decrease to my payments leads to " overdrawn ''.. and every 10 months I 'm paying {$3800.00} to DISCOVER, none of which goes to paying off my debt. 

After telling DISCOVER I could n't afford it - they have now said they 're going to increase monthly payments.. " In an effort to help you get your balance under your credit limit we may increase your minimum payment amount as soon as within the next 60 days ''. 

!!!!? 

Wow -- So ... I took the issue to the BBB / Better Business Bureau XX/XX/XXXX. 

See BBB Complaint ID XXXX / attached # 3. 

Through the BBB I told DISCOVER again how I now am facing declaration of bankcruptcy -- and I do n't want to do that. I also noted I do not want to suspend my card. To please lower the APR per DISCOVER 's history of 0 % APR transfer offers over the 5 years I 've been with them, so I can pay-off my card. I did n't even ask for a 0 % APR -!!! 


But through this BBB complaint, DISCOVER repeatedly responded saying the APR is fine. Apparently they forgot their " Exceptions include customers that may have a financial hardship '' clause. DISCOVER 's last correspondence was yesterday " We have confirmed that the Annual Percentage Rate on your account is valid and in accordance with your Cardmember Agreement ''. 

See attached # 4. 


What happened to " Exceptions include customers that have a financial hardship '' .. Is n't being pushed facing a decision about declaring bankruptcy falling under the heading of " financial hardship ''? 


The BBB closed the file Case # XXXX today, stating " This matter is now closed in BBB files, and will appear in the company 's BBB Business Review as : 'Answered - the business addressed the issues with the complaint, but the consumer remains dissatisfied. ' " How is DISCOVER saying they are going to do nothing, addressing the issue? 


I googled and found CFPB - thank goodness.. and thank you 's to the great person and website who brought your company to note. 

My final emailed response to DISCOVER through BBB, says all, so best here too : " For a customer who has never missed a payment over a 5 year period ( proud of that! ) on any of my bills - - and after years of DISCOVER themselves offering 0 % APR 's to that customer ( me ) for transfers - - to refuse to just lower the APR % from 22 % on XXXX k (!!!! ) so I can pay off my card in order to not go into bankruptcy, is unfortunately vituperative, and really unusual for such a big wealthy company which advertises it is for the public. 

I am still requesting a lower-to-0 % APR per DISCOVER 's previous 0 % offers for one year, so I can pay down my card. Looking forward to the top heads responding in kind. ''

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation