Consumer complaint received 2017-10-13
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — Store credit card
Issue: Closing your account — Can't close your account
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (KY)

I was encouraged at XXXXXXXX XXXX check out to signup for a credit card and save 15 % on my purchase XX/XX/XXXX. I was told there would be no minimum fee included with this card. After not receiving my card or statement in the mail, I went to the store to determine my total and payoff the credit card XX/XX/XXXX. The teller calculated my total from an old receipt to {$13.00}. I paid this total in the store.
XX/XX/XXXX I then received a statement from Comenity Bank showing a {$55.00} balance on my XXXX XXXX Credit Card. This showed that a {$0.00} charge remained on my account XX/XX/XXXX and as such I was charged a late fee XX/XX/XXXX of {$26.00}, another late fee on XX/XX/XXXX of {$26.00}, and an additional {$2.00} minimum charge on XX/XX/XXXX.
I called the company XX/XX/XXXX and was opted through an automated system. I was given the option to close my credit card and speak with a representative. I closed this card immediately. Once I spoke with a representative, I explained that I had never received a credit card from the company, nor a past statement, and that I had been under the assumption my bill had been paid in full at the store. The representative told me that these fees could not be removed as I was closing my credit card with their company. I pressed the matter further and the Representative assured me that he would file a dispute. It would take up to 60 days. I discussed with him, my desire to pay this {$55.00} charge today, if this process would take over a month, so additional late fees would not be charged to my account during this time. I paid this amount in full XX/XX/XXXX and was told that in the event my dispute was approved, I could receive a refund. 

As I was under the assumption my card had been closed, I was surprised to receive an email XX/XX/XXXX showing now a {$6.00} balance. I had been charged a minimum {$2.00} fee for the month of XXXX and again for the month of XXXX, as well as an additional {$2.00} late fee. 

At this time, I had still not heard from Comenity Bank in regards to my dispute XX/XX/XXXX. I reached out to XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX to discuss this issue further, as I felt their credit card provider was taking advantage of XXXX costumers. XXXX forwarded my response to their costumer service team XX/XX/XXXX. I have not heard a response from their customer service team at this time. 

In conjunction to my attempt to notify XXXX, I reached out to Comenity Bank through their secure messaging center XX/XX/XXXX. As XXXX had stated the response time would be delayed to Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, due to a holiday weekend ; I went ahead and paid this additional total of {$6.00}. This was to avoid additional late penalties. I received a message XX/XX/XXXX from the Secure Messaging Center that my message had been forwarded to the Senior Support Team. On XX/XX/XXXX I received an additional response from the Customer Care Team that my message had been escalated and could take 30 days to research. In the meantime, I received a late fee backdated on XX/XX/XXXX of {$6.00} for my previously paid statement ( as my payment was two days past the deadline ), as well as an additional {$2.00} minimum fee. 

I now owe a new {$8.00} balance for a credit card that has been " Closed '' since XX/XX/XXXX and have not received an appropriate response from either XXXX nor Comenity Bank. Over the past six months, I have paid a total of {$82.00} for what was originally a {$13.00} purchase at XXXX XXXX I want to make other XXXX customers aware of my situation so they will be skeptical of XXXX XXXX XXXX.