Consumer complaint received 2023-12-31
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: Conn's, Inc. (TX)

I purchased items from Conn 's Home Plus amounting to {$1500.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. I made on time monthly payments of {$97.00} for the items up until XX/XX/XXXX. There were times whenever I would pay extra during the month because I attempted to reduce the balance to benefit from the cash option. I was contacted by a Conn 's representative saying that the cash option had expired. I was told to pay {$460.00}, and the account would be closed. I made two separate payments of {$230.00} and perceived my account to be closed. 3 months later I received a notice from Conn 's saying that I owed over {$770.00} and to provide a payment of {$97.00}. I contacted them to inquire as to why my account was not closed and they replied that they never received the second payment of {$230.00} so I owe close to 40 % interest on the entire loan amount. I made a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission but had no physical documents to support my claim. I could not prove that I made any cash payments because I kept no receipts assuming that the account was closed. Conn 's provided a report to the FTC showing that I paid only the minimum amount for 12 months with no additional or cash payments and further only showed a single payment of {$230.00}, not two separate payments. Conn 's has a policy that prevents customers from obtaining any means of account management with them outside of a phone call. They do not provide any periodic statements or balances for us to check to see if our previous payments actually posted nor do they provide a company portal or dashboard for us to keep track of our payment history and remaining balances. Conn 's kept me in the blind for the duration of my loan agreement with them concerning my cash payments not posting then the year after I began making payments, it was brought to my attention via a {$770.00} interest fee added to my bill. Now Conn 's is sarcastically requesting me to prove that I made any cash payments over three months after I thought my account was closed. Conn 's submitted a report to the FTC wherein they show a perfect card payment history of {$97.00} every month with no account of any cash payments then a single payment of {$230.00}. Conn 's agreed to waive any interest fees if I agreed to pay the second payment of {$230.00} that they claim to never have received prior to XX/XX/XXXX. I contacted Conn 's and was going to pay this amount but still pursue claims against the company, but my payment was denied by the agent under the understanding that the agreement did not exist despite my efforts to upload the letter from Conn 's to him. He demanded that I pay over {$900.00} to close out the account and now I have received communication in the mail threatening to take legal action against me for not paying these false interest fees. My complaint against Conn 's Home Plus is that they refused to provide periodic statements on this account to enable me to keep track of my payment history and account balances. Conn 's also refused to provide me with a customer portal or dashboard for me to manage my account effectively. If Conn 's had provided either of these account management channels, I would have known that my cash payments were not posting and could have addressed them within a reasonable time span versus finding out about it 3 months after I thought my account was already closed out. The refusal to provide customers with an account management channel gives Conn 's the opportunity to skim payments off customer 's accounts then apply ridiculously high interest charges on customers who know that they have lived up to their part of the loan agreement but just can't prove it.