Consumer complaint received 2025-04-15 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with balance transfer
Company: ALLIANT CREDIT UNION
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
Alliant Credit Union Visa Platinum Credit Card balance transfer offer is a SCAM. 
I have a good credit record with excellent payment history, paying the entire credit card statement balance every due date. My Alliant Credit Union Visa Platinum card has always been set to auto pay entire statement balance. My credit card statement balance on XX/XX/XXXX was {$1700.00} ( comprised of purchases during the billing cycle ending on this date ). As mentioned, I have set my auto payment to the entire statement balance of {$1700.00} due on XX/XX/XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I took advantage of Alliant CU 's Balance Transfer offer of 0 % interest for XXXX months payable in XXXX months, with 2 % balance transfer fee. I transferred {$16000.00} from another credit card with a {$320.00} balance transfer fee. 

At this point, I can not change my auto payment yet to spread out the payment of the {$16000.00} balance for XXXX months because I wanted the entire statement balance from the billing cycle ending XX/XX/XXXX to be fully paid on due date of XX/XX/XXXX. 
During the billing cycle XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, the balance transfer transaction was posted, together with new purchase transactions of {$820.00}. In order to avoid incurring interest on the new purchases, I processed a one-time payment for {$820.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I changed the monthly auto payment from statement balance to a fixed amount of {$2100.00}. I received a confirmation email that this will be processed on next due date of XX/XX/XXXX. A screenshot of the autopayment from XXXX XXXX XXXX also shows this. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a notification from my bank that {$16000.00}, the entire statement balance, was going to be drawn from my account to pay XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX card. I had to immediately process a stop payment and as a consequence, I incurred a {$30.00} stop payment fee from my bank. On the other hand, Alliant Credit Union charged me a payment reversal fee & interest totaling {$34.00}, which they are waiving as a courtesy. 
Based on my multiple conversations with XXXX XXXX agents and supervisors, I was told that it takes XXXX billing cycles to process a change in autopayment. That means, there is no way to cancel the autopayment of entire statement balance until it is processed in XXXX billing cycles. What was shown in the email confirmation and the autopay confirmation screen did not really reflect the true autopayment date of XX/XX/XXXX. This itself MISLEADS credit card customers. I simulated a change of autopay, and indeed, prior to submitting the request, there is a sentence that states change in auto pay takes effect in XXXX billing cycles. 
THIS AUTO PAY LEAD TIME PRECISELY MAKES ALLIANT CREDIT UNIONS BALANCE TRANSFER OFFER A HUGE SCAM AND AN INTENTIONAL DECEPTION AGAINST ITS CUSTOMERS. 
Even if I processed the change in autopay on XX/XX/XXXX, after the payment of the entire statement balance of {$1700.00} from the previous billing cycle has been processed, the change will not take effect during the XXXX XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX billing cycle due on XX/XX/XXXX, but will be processed on the XXXX billing cycle XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX with due date of XX/XX/XXXX. 
Customers like me, who take advantage of a 0 % interest balance transfer offer payable in 12 months, are deceived to believe that we can pay the balance over 12 months, interest free. However, Alliant Credit Union knows that CUSTOMERS REALLY DO NOT HAVE A WAY TO SPREAD THE PAYMENT over 12 months because THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN STOP AN AUTOPAYMENT OF STATEMENT BALANCE ON THE DUE DATE FOLLOWING THE POSTING OF BALANCE TRANSFER TRANSACTION. This is a scam so they can collect the entire balance transfer amount, plus balance transfer fee, and all fees and interests that they can charge their customers, in XXXX XXXX amount. There is really no way to pay it in XXXX months. 
Alliant Credit Unions balance transfer offers are intentional scam, deception, and absolutely fraudulent. Alliant Credit Union should be penalized for this unlawful practice. Alliant Credit Union should be audited and investigated for this unacceptable practice and false advertisement of offer. 
On the other hand, since the autopay of {$2100.00} was not processed beginning due date of XX/XX/XXXX, I processed the payment manually via phone with an agent. On XX/XX/XXXX I verified, no payment was posted to my Visa Platinum Credit Card, but the amount was already debited from my bank account. To make matters worse, I found that the agent processed the payment and applied it to my mortgage account. Alliant CU said they will fix it, but it has been a terrible experience with this bank with so many unacceptable practices. 
I have been a client since XXXX, and never have I experience this deception and inferior service from this bank.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief