Consumer complaint received 2025-05-26 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: Army and Air Force Exchange Service
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
As a retired Senior Chief Petty Officer of the United States XXXX with over XXXX decades of service, I am formally requesting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigate and take immediate enforcement action against the Exchange Credit Program ( XXXX ), which manages the Military STAR Card under the Army & Air Force Exchange Service ( AAFES ). 

What I have experienced is not only unacceptableit is the result of systemic negligence, failure to follow proper procedures, and a blatant disregard for consumer protections, especially those afforded to military retirees. 

Statement of Facts : XXXX. I maintained flawless payment history for years on my Military STAR Card through auto-pay, never missing a payment until my bank account was compromised due to fraud in 2024. That account was closed by the bank for security purposes. 
XXXX. XXXX continued to attempt withdrawals from the closed account, causing payment reversals ( XXXX and XXXX ). Instead of investigating, they unilaterally imposed an ACH block, which cut off my ability to make any payments online. 
XXXX. I reached out to resolve the issue, explained the situation, and requested reinstatement of my payment access. In return, I was : Told to use bill pay, which failed multiple times due to incorrect information given by XXXX representatives. 
Denied the option to pay in person at the XXXX XXXX, which no longer accepts payments. 
Offered only mail-in checks, which is an insecure and impractical method, especially in a case involving account fraud. 
XXXX. While denying me any viable method of payment, XXXX proceeded to garnish my military retirement pay through the Treasury XXXX XXXX ( TOP ), without notice, a schedule, or any opportunity to negotiate or dispute. I am on fixed income, and now that a portion is being garnished without warning, Im unable to meet their unreasonable demand of XXXX consecutive on-time payments to lift the ACH block. This demand is structurally impossible while they withhold income from the same source they expect payments from. 
XXXX. Even worse, my statements reflect a fraudulent address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, FL, an address Ive never lived at, never authorized, and never provided. I have raised this issue repeatedly and XXXX has refused to acknowledge or investigate it, despite it being a clear indicator that my account was compromised. As a result, I never received proper notices or account alerts, as they were sent to the wrong address. 
XXXX. Finally, although I submitted a complaint via the CFPB portal, XXXX is bypassing this system by responding to me directly via email ( XXXX ). This is not only inappropriateit appears to be a deliberate attempt to avoid regulatory oversight and keep communications off the official record. 

Request for CFPB Enforcement Action : In light of these facts, I am respectfully demanding that the CFPB : XXXX. Investigate ECPs attempts to bypass CFPB procedures and require all future communications to be conducted through the CFPB complaint platform. 
XXXX. Mandate that XXXX immediately restore secure online payment access to my account or provide a compliant, secure alternative that does not rely on postal mail. 
XXXX. Suspend all wage garnishment activity until proper notice, dispute procedures, and repayment options have been restored in writing. 
XXXX. Open an internal fraud inquiry into the unauthorized address listed on my account and provide documentation of how that address was added, by whom, and when. 
XXXX. Audit ECPs implementation of Treasury XXXX XXXX collections against military retirees and veterans, particularly those on fixed incomes. 
XXXX. Compel XXXX to provide me with my full account and payment history, including : The number of years Ive held the account The number of successful payments made The total amount already garnished to date Conclusion : I am not a delinquent or irresponsible borrower. Im a military retiree who maintained perfect payment history until a verified case of fraud occurred and since then, I have been denied the basic right to fix the situation. 

Instead of support or accountability, Ive faced barriers, blame, and backdoor communications. This is not a policy oversight, its a pattern of behavior that aligns with previous legal actions taken against AAFES, including XXXX v. AAFES and the {$2.00} XXXX settlement for veterans harmed by similar conduct. 

I am urging the CFPB to exercise its full authority and hold XXXX accountable before more veterans are subjected to this type of treatment.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation