Consumer complaint received 2025-11-28 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
To Whom it May Concern- I logged into my Comenity account XXXX  to pay off my loan balance in full I opened originally in XXXX to purchase furniture through the XXXX XXXX and was absolutely shocked to see that my account balance increased by over {$4000.00} because of finance charges they applied. I immediately contacted the account center and she told me my XXXX  month promotion ended on the XXXX. I had NO IDEA a promotion was ending. Each time I logged into my account I never saw any indication or information stating promotion was ending which would have been extremely helpful as I would have better planned. The rep stated that she sees another purchase I made and that promotion ends in XXXX. I have never signed up for a XXXX  month interest deferral, it has always been XXXX or more years and never went through something like this before. In addition, it appears that when consumers such as myself make a monthly payment towards their loan Comenity is choosing which account to apply payment. Consumers should be given an option where their money should be allocated to avoid situations such as this! I can only assume this is happening because they are preying on consumers when stores close such as the XXXX XXXX to make additional money. The rep stated the loan details are listed on my monthly account statements. Since Comenity charges a fee to receive paper statements, I opted for paperless statements and am unable to open the statements. I told the rep this and she suggested I email them through the messaging center so I sent them an email requesting these outrageous finance charges be removed since I was and have been a long time and more importantly ON TIME paying customer for years!! I also sent screenshots ( attached ) proving each of the statements wont open and that I paid my account in full ( screenshot attached ) based on last account statement which did NOT include the {$4100.00} interest charge they are trying to make me pay on my original loan balance. 

I find this extremely unfair. When you pay off a loan balance you shouldnt be charged interest on an original loan balance. Other banks and credit cards give you time to pay off the loan so you can actually pay it off. Using Comenity, if you dont pay off by a certain hidden promotional date, youll be whacked with interest that is more than your actual loan balance and that to me is criminal in nature. 

I sent an email to Comenity requesting the finance charges be waived as I have been a longtime and ontime paying customer and explained if I was able to see that my promotion was ending I wouldve paid this off before all of this occurred but I am quite confused why this was even added since Im still under promotion. Their response to me was theyll review it but it can take 90 days to review. Which means these finance charges are going to be tacked on with more finance charges each month so they can review to make it impossible to pay off. They also told me my promotion ended so I get the feeling they are not going to work with me so am reaching out to you for assistance in this matter.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation