Consumer complaint received 2021-01-17
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: DISCOVER BANK (CA)

Re : Discover Credit Card Payment Protection Program Fee. 


I have had a Discover credit card since the year XXXX. My Discover Card has been my primary method of paying expenses since that time. On XX/XX/XXXX I viewed my statement for XX/XX/XXXX. In that statement, I found a fee called " DISCOVERPAYMENT PROTECTION '' for {$8.00}. I did not recognize this transaction, so I looked up my previous statements. In the previous statements I also noticed this fee, but in different amounts each month. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted Discover by phone and spoke with an agent, " XXXX. '' XXXX informed me that I have been enrolled in the Discover Payment Protection Program since XXXX when I opened the Discover credit card. XXXX stated that the program charges me a certain amount per {$100.00} that I charge on my Discover card. I informed XXXX that I have never enrolled in such a program, and XXXX told me that I must have signed up for it when I opened my credit card. XXXX informed me that the Payment Protection Program provides relief for individuals who are unemployed or in financial strain from interest fees and other things. Frankly it was still unclear to me what the program does based on XXXX 's explanation. I demanded a refund from XXXX for every Payment Protection Program fee since XXXX, but XXXX refused, stating that he could only refund the last 6 months. XXXX told me that he would at least cancel my enrollment in the program. I asked to speak to a supervisor but was directed to the voicemail of Supervisor " XXXX. '' After my call with XXXX, I entered the Discover website and reviewed all the statements that were available. The only statements that were available were for the last 7 years, since XXXX. I calculated all of the Payment Protection Program fees Discover charged me since XXXX, and it amounted to {$910.00}. I was unable to to include the fees charged since XXXX, because statements beyond 7 years were not available to me. On the Discover site, I was able to search for the program and found that I was still enrolled in the payment protection program, despite XXXX telling me I was unenrolled. There was no way for me to unenroll from it on my own. 

Supervisor, XXXX, did not immediately respond to my message, so the following day, I called the company again, on XX/XX/XXXX, and this time made direct contact with XXXX. I asked XXXX for a refund of all the fees paid into the Discover Payment Protection Program, and XXXX informed me that he would not provide a refund for the program fees, except for fees paid in the last 6 months. I also asked XXXX for my statements from XXXX to XXXX, and he stated that they were not available. I informed XXXX that the Discover site still indicated I was enrolled in the program, and XXXX stated it " takes time '' for an unenrollment to take effect. I am unable to confirm if I am in fact unenrolled from the program, and when if ever I will be unenrolled. I do not want to be enrolled in this program, nor would I ever be interested in such a program. 

From XXXX to the present, I have paid {$910.00} into the Discover Payment Protection Program. I believe I was charged another {$500.00} or so from XXXX to XXXX, but I have no way of calculating that amount, because Discover will not release my statements from XXXX to XXXX. I XXXX  this issue online and learned that Discover has done this kind of thing in the past, where they will market some sort of cardmember service, without stating that the service will charge any fees, and will continue to conceal it so the cardmember has to continue paying without knowledge of it. I believe this is very unfair and inequitable. My issues with Discover are as follows : 1 ) To my knowledge, I did not ever enroll in the payment protection program. If I did, there is no way I was aware that I would be charged fees, because if I knew that I would have never enrolled. 
2 ) Discover never informed me that I was in the program, and the fees were hidden on my statements in such a way that a reasonable person would not be able to notice them. Discover could have given me some sort of notice every year or some sort of email indicating how much I am paying, but instead they concealed this fee from me so they could continue charging it without notice. 
3 ) I have never benefitted from Discover 's payment protection program, because I have paid all of my statements in full, and have never had the need for relief from interest fees. 
4 ) When I go into my Discover account, I am able to find the page for Payment Protection Program ( after some searching ), but Discover does not have a way for the consumer to unsubscribe from the program without actually calling them and speaking with an agent, making it more difficult for a consumer to unenroll. This is an unfair business practice. 
5 ) I believe I have lost around {$1200.00} or more from being enrolled in the Payment Protection Program, and I want all of my money back. 
6 ) I want Discover to be investigated for similar fraud on other consumers, because I believe there has to be other people who are being victimized like this.