Consumer complaint received 2020-10-03
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — Store credit card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (NJ)

BJs Wholesale Club told me if I opened a credit card with them, I would receive a {$40.00} credit on my first bill. I questioned the rep extensively about this credit and she assured me the {$40.00} would show on my first bill as a promotion credit. Got first bill. No {$40.00} credit. Called BJs. BJs Manager, XXXX, via a store rep told me they would give me a {$40.00} gift card. I asked if I could use this toward the charge on my credit card. They said no. Rep told me I was definitely eligible and didn't understand why I didn't get the credit. They told me to call the rewards division of the bank. I called 3 or 4 different numbers. Hung up on three times. Each time I called I had to go thru the ARU and answers all the questions AGAIN. Spent an inordinate time being transferred, put on hold, having to retell the issues only to be transferred and put on hold again. I finally reached a gentleman,  XXXX, who told me he could give me a gift card or send me a check. I told him I didn't sign up for the credit card to be given a gift card. He said they could issue me a check but it would not arrive for 4 to 6 weeks. Long after the credit card is due. He also told me I would receive an email stating I would receive a check and assigned me a  reference number XXXX. NO email. I then contacted the bank who issued the credit card in conjunction with BJs. I was unable to find a link on their site to dispute a charge so I sent a message asking where to find that link. Their response : From : Comenity Bank Sent : Saturday, XX/XX/2020, XXXX XXXX  ( ET ) To : You Subject : Re :  Fraud Message ID : XXXX I am with Comenity Capital Bank, which handles everything related to your Mastercard account. This card is issued by Comenity Capital Bank pursuant to a license by Mastercard International Incorporated.

Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. 

Submitting a billing dispute is easy. To protect your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act, we need to receive your dispute in writing through the mail, within 60 calendar days of the date on your first billing statement with the disputed transaction. Please include your : - Name - Address - Account number - Disputed amount - Specific transaction - The reason for your dispute Also, include any information that may help us such as sales receipts or other documents that may support your dispute. Send your written dispute to us here : Comenity Capital Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, OH XXXX I responded saying by the time all this had taken place my bill would have become due and I would have had to pay it - negating the need for the dispute. 

This whole this is fraudulent. I signed up for a credit card upon BJs urging and was promised a {$40.00} credit on the first bill. I did not get it. I then had to spend a large portion of my day trying to recoup this promotional credit. Neither BJs, the credit card rewards program or the bank is taking any responsibility for this other than saying they would issue me a gift card. Of course, I would have to go to the BJs store if I wanted the gift card - something I am not doing under the present virus situation. 

Why does it always fall on the consumer to 'fix ' the inadequacies of a credit card, a rewards program or a bank? No one oversees the banks. It is a joke. They can do and do whatever they please. If they choose not to live up to their agreements nothing is done to them at the time or to prevent this in the future. They give you the run around and their solution to not accepting responsibility is to transfer you continually or hang up on you or both. Most people would not follow through on this. I am one who did although I am not sure that it will change anything. What are you going to do to protect my consumer rights? 

Incidentally, applying for this credit card I didn't even want hurt my chances of securing another credit card I did want.