Consumer complaint received 2026-02-12 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Written notification about debt — Notification didn't disclose it was an attempt to collect a debt
Company: SCHOOLSFIRST FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern : I banked with SchoolsFirst for several years, they were my primary bank. I filed for bankruptcy late XXXX, in XX/XX/XXXX my bankruptcy judgment was approved to dismiss my debts. Before the judgment, I had about $ XXXX {$300.00} in credit card debt with the institution. After the judgment, the debt was cleared from my online banking account and I was no longer receiving mail/paper correspondence. I would randomly ( every XXXX to XXXX weeks ) receive contextless text messages from an XXXX number stating to be " SchoolsFirst '', it would say make a payment on my credit card. I would log into my SchoolsFirst account online or on my phone app and there would be no option to pay anything ( other than my auto loan ). On several occasions I called the phone number, spoke to a SchoolsFirst representative and was incorrectly advised to rest assured, as I had nothing to worry about. The reps also could not see that I owed anything - other than the car loan. I was encouraged to simply dismiss the text notices, so I did. In XX/XX/XXXX my checking and savings account with SchoolsFirst were frozen. In panic I called to inquire what was going on and why. I was told that I owed them over {$500.00} and I would need to pay them in full to freely use my accounts. I explained my confusion, the institution was aware that my bankruptcy was approved. I told them that I called several times during the months I would receive the strange texts but they said I called the wrong department, despite the fact that I had called the main line and the credit card line to speak to live representatives every time. My rebuttal to them was that their representatives response didn't make sense, by XX/XX/XXXX I had accrued hundreds of dollars in interest and late fees which no longer reflected my original amount. When I asked why I wasnt properly notified I was told that after a bankruptcy its against the law to contact the borrower regarding owed debts. I asked them how can I know that I owe post-bankruptcy judgment when they failed to properly inform me. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was denied the opportunity for me to explain my case myself or receive further explanations by someone further up the chain of command. I was told it was my responsibility to just call which I did, many, many times. I asked if the calls are on a recorded line for quality assurance then why the calls werent logged, especially since Ive always called from my same phone number. Those recordings would have clearly provided evidence of my communication attempts resulting in false information. I would also like to note that during this time I was not living in California, I had spent the last XXXX years as a Nevada resident, therefore online and over the phone access was my preferred method. Either way, SchoolsFirst had my NV mailing address to reach me. I asked them to make an exception for my case, as their debt collection department had dropped the ball, they refused. I even attempted to negotiate and offered to meet in the middle as I would have been willing to pay the original owed amount ( no fees ), but they denied my attempt to resolve my issue. They ended up closing all my accounts without proper documentation in an attempt to collect the debt or at the very least properly notify me. 


My desired resolution is not only to file a formal complaint, but for my debts to be forgiven by the institution as they were already dismissed by my lawfully filed bankruptcy, which was approved. The way the institution mishandled this issue was not only unprofessional but careless. Communications should be properly logged and a set protocol that doesn't scrutinize the member should be respected.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation