Consumer complaint received 2025-03-25 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account — Company closed your account
Company: Atlanticus Services Corporation
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
I received a pre-approved invitation offer to become a client of XXXX XXXX XXXX early XXXX. After I decided to accept, I began services with them by early XXXX of this year, and I was very pleased with them up until today, XX/XX/year>, when I had learned that my account was suddenly closed permanently without any notice or warning that my relationship as a client would be of any risk of termination. I made this discovery after they had received a payment in full that I entered in with full faith that I would be able to make use of the credit limit that was part of my approved contract with them. When making my payment, I had even discussed technical issues with entering the current date when submitting my payment, and the representative made no disclosure that my account had already been closed on XX/XX/year> during the conversation via chat that took place on XX/XX/XXXX. I was able to enter XX/XX/year> in as my payment date with the help of the support advocate over the chat, and had successfully submitted a payment in full. Nothing was discussed that would have made me aware that I would not have the ability to use my card as normal, but if I would have been made aware of that, I definitely would have reconsidered the amount that I was trying to pay. I believe that the agent knew that, and didn't want to cause me to change my mind about anything regarding my payment. I had already setup auto-pay for the account, and this payment was not considered something past due or of any current obligation. I simply just wanted to make use of my credit card again at it's full capacity, and that representative clearly knew that was my intention. However, after the payment was received and my entire balance was paid in full, I was surprised that I was unable to use my card. I spoke with another person from their chat service and they advised me that my account was permanently closed due to activity on my account. That particular individual was unable to provide any details about what activity was identified in that decision, but told me to contact their account services for more information. I then searched for any possible notice that my account was in any danger of closure and I have nothing, they never sent me a single notice regarding this, nor to this moment would have any written confirmation that would suggest that my account is even closed, not even on my account dashboard does it show me this information is even real. However, it is definitely real, I spoke with a member from account services and they said the same thing. The person I spoke with told me that a payment reversal of {$300.00} was made on XX/XX/XXXX, and that's what caused their system to automatically detect the need for my account to be permanently closed. I told him that I was aware of that transaction and I already had that corrected and described my experience over the past few days exactly as I have in this claim, but he told me that this decision can not be reviewed and will still be in effect. I know that I had changed my automatic payment setup on the day of my due date, and the amount was accepted by a different method that same day the incorrect payment had taken place and thus caused this issue to occur. I explained this to the person I was speaking with on the phone, but there was nothing he could do. I also asked him to send me back my money then, and he advised me that he did not have that ability since my account was in a closed status and that payment was already processed past the final stage within all stages that payments go through as they are processed, it can not be cancelled or returned at this point. I was also never going to be able to make use of the available credit balance that my account shows me that I currently still have available either. A simple and likely common mistake that I am sure anyone can easily fall into, has robbed me of not only the confidence of financial wellness, but has weighed heavily against my emotional wellness as well because I feel like I'm in some kind of unbelievable nightmare with this credit card. I just can't make sense that this is real, I have never been warned about this potentially happening and when I log in on my account it shows everything in place as if nothing is wrong at all. There's no email, nothing came in my mailbox, I don't have any indication that there's no longer an active account with XXXX, everything looks fully operational until I attempt to use my card and get declined. Then I'm told that there's absolutely nothing I can do, as if I should have no problem accepting that this is happening? There must be something wrong with how I am being treated and how crazy this experience is for me, it's unheard of, and I almost feel as if my intelligence is being directly insulted by this company playing some kind of sick joke on me. I absolutely feel like I was tricked, and they are amused by their deceptive methods at play, laughing hysterically at what they would see as a weak mind. I am a highly XXXX XXXX XXXX with many XXXX  accumulated over my lifetime, and I'm far from having any signs of a weak mind having a presence in all parts of my identity as a whole. I'm sorry, but I won't tolerate this, what are my options?

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation