Consumer complaint received 2024-05-29 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with rewards from credit card
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
Too much time and effort was spent on my part, starting with repeated phone calls totaling close to XXXX hours, and culminating with a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on XX/XX/24 wherein I documented methodically and thoroughly that Comenity Bank intentionally and without cause, froze my account and continued to keep it suspended for XXXX solid months. Without rehashing all the details, their purpose in freezing my account had XXXX objectives. XXXX, by locking my account it gave them an excuse to freeze my {$93.00} rebate in order to hang onto it as long as possible. I am absolutely certain, had I not done my due diligence, Comenity would have considered my rebate to be their profit. Secondly, they ordered me to send them hard copies of some fairly sensitive personal information. There was no good reason for me to send Comenity hard copies of information they could sell or lose during a future data breach! Finally, after XXXX long, grueling, and painful months Comenitys response to the CFPB was simply, XXXX reviewed the account and found no violations of law. After XXXX solid months, unfreezing my account and finally releasing my cash back money is simply not good enough! 

When I called them after they decided to release my rebate, they told me a check or physical money card was not an option. My options were effectively a XXXX choice. 
I could give them my bank information for them to make a direct deposit. 
XXXX. They continue to want more personal information about me. This has been my XXXX of contention since they pretended Id done something wrong and held my rebate XXXX while demanding hard copies of information from me. 
XXXX. I could receive an e-card for less than they really owed me. XXXX not allowing ANY bank to rip me off! 
XXXX. They could give me a credit on my charge card. 
XXXX. I thought I had made it quite clear that I did not want to use their credit card because of the way Ive been treated. 
Since these were clearly my only choices, I elected to have the rebate become a credit added to my card. When I talked to the representative on XX/XX/XXXX, I was told I would receive an updated statement after the closing date of XX/XX/XXXX. So, as of XX/XX/24, I still have not received a credit card statement that includes my {$93.00} rebate. It is so sad that after waiting for over XXXX months that my money is STILL not easily and readily available! Now, after XXXX months, I am still waiting. Its just another, well played stall tactic by XXXX! 

Lastly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, I do not understand how Comenity is allowed to profit by holding onto my cash back, even though I first asked for it at the end of XXXX. If I had held onto their money for XXXX months, ( more like XXXX as of XX/XX/XXXX ) they would have punished me by charging me {$41.00} plus 34.24 % XXXX for EACH of those months. So, XXXX owes me an additional {$130.00} including {$41.00} late fees and 34.24 % interest compounded over the course of XXXX months. Itemized, this includes XXXX months late fees @ {$41.00} and an additional {$11.00} fee at the cash advance rate. If you run this information through your computer, you would find the math to be fundamentally accurate. 

If Comenity Bank would have openly and honestly handled my account back in XXXX, this situation could have been resolved quickly and easily. Their accusation of security concerns were solely designed to benefit the bank at my expense! They now need to do the right thing and reimburse me for all the time and anguish they have caused.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief