Consumer complaint received 2020-07-24
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — Store credit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: TD BANK US HOLDING COMPANY (CO)

I am writing to dispute and report Targets willful obstruction of process in resolving a fraudulently opened credit card along with charges on the fraudulent account in the amount of {$370.00}. 

I want to be clear, I am a victim of identity theft, and I did not open the fraudulent account, NOR did I make or authorize any subsequent charges. 

I have been in contact with Target and have been attempting to resolve this issue for 2 years with little to no cooperation on their behalf. As a result of their willful neglect, my credit score has suffered dramatically, I have wasted over 20+ hours in fruitless conversation with them, and have financially and personally suffered due to their corporate malpractice. 

The following is a timeline of events : In XX/XX/XXXX, I discovered a fraudulent purchase linked to a previously unknown credit card opened in my name. I attempted to rectify this fraudulent activity by contacting the credit card company that oversaw the credit card account. Please note that in the initial report on file with Target, they failed to find an address on file OR phone number related to me, indicating fraud. In a conversation with Target in XX/XX/XXXX, I was told by the company that they deemed the behavior on my account to be fraud, and were willing to remove the charges and close the account. In that time, I paid the company XXXX dollars that they 'needed ' from me to perform this action. At this time, they documented in their internal notes that the account was closed due to 'unsatisfactory service ' when in reality I called to report fraud and only fraud. 

Subsequent to our conversation, they failed to close the account, despite previously noting that activity on the account was fraudulent linked to me. 

Months later, upon seeing their failure to close the account and resolve the dispute ( a fact I only became aware of due to a decline in my credit score ) I filed a claim with the company. Despite their policy stating that I would be notified of their decision, the claim was ultimately denied and I was never notified. I was also not provided a reason for the claim denial. 

However, after seeing my credit score decline, yet again, due to a Target card charge, I reached out to them in XX/XX/XXXX requesting an audit form. The agent on the line notified me toward the end of the call that the form had been sent, when in reality nothing was ever delivered to my home or email. 

Instead, in mid-XXXX, I was delivered a letter informing me that the disputed charges had not been removed, but in fact, sent to a debt collection agency. They had passed this information to debt collection, without my knowledge, on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Upon receiving this news, I contacted target and was repeatedly hung up on and/or sent to a dead phone line rendering me incapable of contesting the reported charges. After calling into Target for a completely unrelated issue ( with hopes of being forwarded to the right department ), I got an agent on the line who refused to provide me with documentation related to fraudulent charges or generally respond to my questions about the account. They forwarded me to a phone line in their fraud division, where the call was eventually dropped. 

Since then, I have called target over 30 times attempting to get better information about the account and/or process, and in each instance I was told grossly inconsistent stories about the process being undertaken - often citing antiquated notes or failing to review the full history and subsequently providing me false information about next steps. On XX/XX/XXXX, I was finally emailed an audit form despite multiple requests for one in the past. This was only done while I requested that the agent remained on the line with me to confirm its arrival to my inbox. It took her 3 attempts. 

I submitted my audit form on XX/XX/XXXX over Fax and called to get a sense for the amount of time it will take for a resolution. They told me 2 days. 

I called them on XX/XX/XXXX looking for an update, and was told that an action has been taken on the account but that they will not tell me the outcome. Phone operators have also refused to provide me their full name and the name of the auditor conducting their investigation. 

I filed with the FTC this morning, and now I am now writing to you. 

In all of my conversations with Target, I was illegally denied/obstructed from access to the following documents : Application records or screen prints of internet/phone applications Statements/invoices Payment/charge slips Investigators summary Delivery addresses Names /point of contact / any resources related to dispute Any other documents associated with the account It is worth noting that some of these charges were made in-store, and should have physical evidence associated with them ( e.g. XXXX footage ), but given the amount of time they have allowed to pass since the initial contact, it is likely this evidence information has been destroyed. 

I have spent 2 years battling with them for minimal compliance by the CFPB guidelines, made over ( 50+ ) calls to resolve this issue, and have submitted absolutely every shred of documentation or evidence to exonerate myself that they requested with little-to-no response from them. 

My 5 voicemails left with the agent responsible for initially reviewing ( and denying my account ) were left unanswered, not a single person provided me with a full name or credible contact. The amount of times I was 'dropped ' or forwarded to a dead phone line is unreasonably high. Based on this repeat pattern of evasion, I have reason to believe that they are purposefully withholding information necessary to exonerate me of these fraudulent charges. 

I feel taken advantage of, and given their size and bureaucracy, powerless to remedy the situation. Because of their actions, I am now prohibited from the financial and personal choices that are rightfully available to me, solely due to their impropriety, which has directly impacted my credit score. I am desperately seeking your help.