Consumer complaint received 07-07-2017 about Credit card or prepaid card (General-purpose credit card or charge card) with Alliance Data Card Services (CA).
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint: THE EXPERIENCE : I had/have an account with Comenity Bank/ Virgin America 's Elevate program. Because of poor customer service, my impending divorce and move across country, I closed my account around the year XX/XX/XXXX, when I moved to XXXX from XXXX. I never updated my address with this creditor, because as far as I was concerned the account was closed. <P/>Last year, XX/XX/XXXX, I unexpectedly received a bill that had been sent to my XXXX address so I received it very very late. I called to dispute the charges : Card maintenance fee and Late fees for not paying the maintenance fee. <P/>I explained that it was my understanding that this card was closed earlier, and asked them to remove the fees and close the account. I was assured this would be done. <P/>Now it is XX/XX/XXXX, and I checked my credit report and Comenity Bank is showing my account as delinquent for unpaid maintenance fee, late fees, & finance charges. So I called on XX/XX/XXXX to dispute this again, and ask that the charges get reversed and the card closed. <P/>This time however instead of saying they were terrible sorry and that they would close my account and get rid of the fees once and for all, and after speaking with 6 different people -- 3 Customer Reps and 3 managers -- bits and pieces of a story emerged. However no one had the same story. <P/>I was told as per their records : The account was closed on XX/XX/XXXX ( ending XXXX ) One of the reps said my card was closed on XX/XX/XXXX with charges removed Another Manager said charges were removed XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX $ late fee + {$6.00} finance charges ) Then a manager said they issued a NEW card **I was not aware of this card nor did I give permission for an account to be opened in my name. ** Then that card was closed on XX/XX/XXXX for delinquency. <P/>A different manager told me " it is not their policy to remove charges on cards they are going to close, so there is no way, that the card could have been closed before ( ie in XX/XX/XXXX ). The card would have been required to be open for another year. '' ( not exact quote- but very close!! ) All said I had to pay the charges. I think it is extremely unfair to have to pay for something I did n't even know existed- I say this in reference to the second card that was issued that I did not know existed. <P/>Turns out new cards had been sent to my XXXX address, but I did not know this until recently. Again, I had no reason to expect or keep an eye out for new cards because it was my understanding this account was closed. In any case, neither of the new cards were ever activated, further proof, of my understanding that this account was closed. <P/>ACCOUNT VERIFICATION : At each call, Reps asked me to verify my address & last four of my SS. The only address on file at that time was my XXXX addy. I was told by multiple reps that my current XXXX address was not on file. I do n't remember anyone asking for my phone number. <P/>Then I called back again on the same day to ask a clarifying question : " If it is not the policy to remove charges on cards that will close -- why was I issued another card with different ending numbers after the first card was closed? '' I never got an answer to this question however because the manager said my account could not be verified. <P/>Before I was transferred to her, I gave the rep my last 4 of my SS, and the XXXX address they had on file as I had done the last 2 times that same day. <P/>With this manager, she now said, that address is not the one they have on file. She wanted me to give her my new address in XXXX and my phone number. She would not answer any of my questions because my account " could not be verified '' Never mind that it had been verified 2 times before on that same day with only my SS and XXXX address. It seemed like a calculated attempt to get me to give them information I did not want them to have, ie my phone number and new address. <P/>DOLLAR AMOUNT : I never did received a paper bill for this new card, and never logged in online again because the account was supposed to be closed ( Yes- should have confirmed this apparently- though frankly thought I did and it wouldnt let me log in, but that memory is hazy ) Anyway, from my credit check through XXXX datad XX/XX/XXXX the amount Comenity claims is delinquent was {$110.00} as of XX/XX/XXXX. ( I checked XXXX at this time because I am starting a new restaurant venture and wanted to make sure there were not any negative marks. I usually have credit score in high XXXX or low XXXX so this was a shock!! )

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief