Consumer complaint received 2024-09-22 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: NV

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX 's XX/XX/XXXX : After unfreezing my credit reports, I applied for a Caeser 's Reward Visa card thru Comenity Bank via their online application. I authorized a hard inquiry to process the online application. During the application process, Comenity 's website froze, and I never completed the application. This resulted in a SECOND submission for the same credit card. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I received a letter ( dated XX/XX/XXXX ) from Comenity that stated " Your credit report is frozen for security purposes ...., '' and that I need to unfreeze my credit reports to process my application. Once done, I needed to call Comenity to finish my application. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I called Comenity, as directed by their XX/XX/XXXX letter. Comenity then asked if they could run my credit report for approval purposes, so that they could complete my application. I agreed. 

XX/XX/XXXX Letter # XXXX : Comenity 's letter stated that they received an additional application within 30 days and will not process that application. That second application was related to their website locking up on XX/XX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX Letter # XXXX : I received a denial letter which stated the reason for denial : " Because of the number of recent inquiries on your credit report, we are unable to approve your application at this time. '' Also they included my XXXX credit report score of XXXX. 

Following the denial for hard inquiries, I checked my credit reports. The ONLY hard inquiries on my reports were completed by Comenity, and ALL were related to the application for this Caeser 's reward card. No other inquiries exist. The dates of the inquiries were TWO on XX/XX/XXXX, and ONE on XX/XX/XXXX. In short, my denial was based on Comenity making THREE separate hard inquiries for this single attempt at applying for their credit card. Comenity failed ( and continues to fail ) to recognize that THEY self created the denial. 

After filing a complaint, I received a letter from Comenity stating that " as a courtesy ... '' they would remove the XX/XX/XXXX hard inquiries. However, they stated that they would not remove the XX/XX/XXXX inquiry. Although I appreciate Comenity removing the XX/XX/XXXX inquiries, the bank is failing to understand that the THREE hard inquiries, that they made, are directly correlated with the denial of my application. Their mistakes, led to my denial... simple as that. 

Additionally : First, if my reports were frozen during my initial online application, per their XX/XX/XXXX letter, then Comenity should not have been able to make XXXX hard inquiries on my reports that day. Second, when I called Comenity, as directed per their XX/XX/XXXX letter, and was asked if i would approve a hard inquiry to process the application, that was done with the understanding that Comenity had not previously made any hard inquiries. Again, why? Because Comenity stated that they were unable to run my credit on XX/XX/XXXX, because my reports were frozen. Third, my denial was based solely on Comenity 's THREE hard inquiries. Simply, Comenity is only seeing that they wrongly made THREE hard inquiries, BUT they are failing to recognize that it was their THREE inquiries that led to the denial. Outside of this application, I had no hard inquires within 24 months, and I have not applied for any credit cards in the past 24 years. 

Comenity needs to remove ALL hard inquiries. Their failed processes directly led to the denial. My application should have been processed with a single hard inquiry, which undoubtedly would have led to an approval. Instead, Comenity self created the denial thru failed internal processes... .making THREE hard inquiries, and then denying me based on those inquiries. Simply, I am continuing to be punished ( via my credit report ) because Comenity is unable to realize/accept that they self created the denial. So again, ALL hard inquiries should be removed, taking my credit report back to what it was before Comenity created this mess. Versus leaving a single hard inquiry, as if that one inquiry would have somehow led to a Comenity denying me the card ... .which it would not have.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief