Consumer complaint received 2016-02-22
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Credit card
Issue: Delinquent account

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX, XXXX To Whom It May Concern at Best Buy/Chase Bank, Please let this letter serve as a formal complaint to both of your entities, the credit reporting bureaus, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the California Department of Consumer Affairs, the XXXX XXXX Department of Consumer Protection, the California Office of the Attorney General, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. 
Fact # 1 ) I, XXXX XXXX XXXX obtained a Best Buy credit card XX/XX/XXXX. I used that card at that time for a promotion to buy a refrigerator for {$2200.00}. I did so because the promotion offered " {$0.00} down and 0 interest '' as long as the balance was paid off within 12 months. I did exactly that -- I paid off the purchase within a year and had no problems. There was no monthly interest charge, and there was no monthly minimum payment. 
Fact # 2 ) I did not use that card again until XX/XX/XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX, I purchased a sound system for my home for {$910.00}. I made this purchase based on an advertisement campaign similar to the previous one XX/XX/XXXX ( I have enclosed a copy of a similar advertisement from today which offers 0 % interest on all purchases over {$390.00} AS LONG AS the purchase is paid off within 12 months. ) Nowhere in the promotion did it say that a minimum payment had to be paid each month. I confirmed the details of this promotion both with the manager on duty at the XXXX XXXX XXXX store where I made my purchase, and again with the cashier at check-out. I did this twice because I wanted to be sure, and because I did the exact same thing the first time using my card for a promotion in XX/XX/XXXX. 
FACT # 3 ) Similar to the period from XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX, I did make sporadic payments over the next year ( XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX ) to bring my balance to what should have been a {$0.00} balance by XX/XX/XXXX. Instead, your company immediately after my purchase began charging me interest on my balance. Without my consent, I was accruing interest monthly, directly against the terms of the promotion I agreed to. XX/XX/XXXX I had a balance of {$310.00}, which I paid in full XX/XX/XXXX because I had already received a communication telling me that I was past due for that amount. Please note that I paid {$470.00} in interest and fees that I never agreed to, and were NEVER mentioned in the promotion I agreed to. This was a drastically different experience than the first time I used the card. 
Fact # 4 ) I had planned out my budget for the year, and as evidenced in the attachment below I made payments according to that plan to come to a zero balance by the end of one year term ( XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. ) Nowhere in the promotion did it say I had to make specific monthly payments, and specifically in my conversation with both the manager on duty AND the cashier I asked if I needed to make a monthly payment -- the answer was always " no, as long as you pay it off by the end of a year. '' Fact # 5 ) Your company 's incorrect addition of interest and other fees from the time of purchase NOT ONLY erroneously added {$470.00} to my account, but when the balance thus deviated from my plan it caused me to become ( inaccurately ) " delinquent '' in paying my bill. Again, I asked XXXX separate employees ( XXXX the manager ) if I needed to make scheduled monthly payments and was told " no. '' And that 's how it had gone the first time I used the card. These inaccurate " delinquencies '' were then incorrectly reported to the credit bureau. Your erroneous actions in this regard have been extremely detrimental to my credit rating. This has prevented me from obtaining a home loan and other necessary financing for both my business and personal life. This in turn has caused me and my family significant emotional and financial distress. 

Best Buy/Chase Bank, because you did not honor the terms of your promotion I have been wronged on XXXX fronts : 1 ) I have been erroneously charg

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation