Consumer complaint received 2021-08-30
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — You never received your bill or did not know a payment was due
Company: DISCOVER BANK (OH)

To Whom It May Concern : I am contacting your agency to dispute damage against my credit by Discover. Historically, I have been a Discover customer since XXXX  and have consistently paid on time over the years with no issues. Due to an incorrect email address and no attempts by Discover to reach me through a physical address, my credit has been damaged by very small amount - {$3.00} ( {$6.00} total including fees ). Please see attached statements related to the matter. 

The card was primarily my back up card and on XXXX I had to use it because my normal bank card was left in another purse. Purchases were made on XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX for a total of {$48.00}. 

A payment of {$45.00} was made on XXXX without the statement because I knew I had used the card in the past month, but I couldnt remember the exact amount. I went ahead and scheduled the payment through my online bank ( XXXX XXXX ) of what I thought would cover the whole amount - {$45.00}. I was wrong in that assumption and was unaware of the email attempts Discover made to me due to an old email address and the paperless option I selected years prior ( I did update my physical address ). The statements were never sent to my physical address ; only through this old email account which I had been locked out of due to forgetting the password ( XXXX vs my updated XXXX ). 

No first, second, or final attempt was ever sent to my physical address before having my credit score negatively impacted. Had I been contacted, I would have absolutely paid off this small amount. The Ohio Attorney Generals site ( https : //www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/FAQ/Debt-collection-FAQs # XXXX ) has this fact : 'A debt collector must send you an initial letter within five days of contacting you to tell you the amount of the debt you owe, the name of the creditor to whom you owe the debt, your rights to dispute the debt and how to request verification of the debt. ' I was contacted by mail XXXX that my account was closed due to inactivity and serious delinquency for {$6.00}. Confused, I immediately called Discover to inquire about what I read and learned the dollar amount I paid on XXXX was insufficient. I proceeded to pay off the remaining balance of in full through XXXX XXXX online banking. I asked the Discover representative if there was anything I could do to re-establish the account and apologized. I was informed there was not an option. 

A year and half later I am preparing to buy a home and I remembered this incident. I am regretful I did not catch this mishap earlier, but I also feel Discover failed to adequately contact me in the matter as prescribed by the Ohio Attorney General. I learned of the wrong email address through follow up calls recently. Again, there was nothing Discover could offer me to make things right. 

Damage to my credit for such a small amount can have rippling effects for 7 years. My other credit history demonstrates how seriously I take my great credit standing. I am hopeful your agency can act on my behalf to set things straight as the long-terms effects do not match the error made. 

Thank you for your time.