Consumer complaint received 2024-09-20 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
I would like to thank Comenity Capital Bank for its response and cooperation to help resolve our disagreement. Their facts ( items purchased and discounted amount ) coupled with my research and the finding of new receipts has allowed me to completely figure out what happened. As such I have found that the XXXX entities involved in this debacle have made mistakes for which we must make amends. At the end of my explanation, I hope we can all agree on my final proposal. I will proceed in a chronological order : XX/XX/year>2024 : ( Please see page 1 with the corresponding documents and receipts ) I went to XXXX XXXX XXXX and bought several items that totaled {$64.00}. I was approached by the staff as I was ready to pay, on savings that would reduce my bill by {$9.00} to {$55.00}. I initially declined the offer as I usually DO NOT LIKE TO USE STORE CREDIT CARDS. I ALWAYS USE MY DEBIT CARDS. But the staff was very helpful that day and I had a little more time than usual, so I agreed. After being given a short explanation of the cards regulations, benefits, and responsibilities, I signed the agreement. I specifically asked if I could pay the new, reduced balance now with my debit card and I was told YES. ( Mistake # 1 ) I then paid it ( or so I thought ) with my debit card ( which I always do ) and left the store. 
XX/XX/year>2024 : ( Please see page 2 with the corresponding receipts ) I returned to XXXX 2 days later because some of the items did not fit me well. Those items were crossed off the XX/XX/XXXX receipt with RTN, which stood for return, and were featured on top of the XX/XX/XXXX receipt totaling $ XXXX. I bought other items that day which totaled {$100.00}. I purposely went back to the same staff member because I wanted him to remember that I only recently bought those items there. He recognized me as well and deducted the {$22.00} from the balance yielding {$85.00}. HE DEDUCTED IT FROM MY DEBIT CARD BECAUSE WE BOTH REMEMBERED THAT I INITIALLY USED MY DEBIT CARD TO PAY FOR THOSE ITEMS. Had he noted that it was paid by my NEW CREDIT CARD ONLY he should have told me that and given me an option of a gift card or somehow reducing that initial XX/XX/XXXX balance by {$22.00}. I again paid the balance with my debit card ( which I always do ) and left the store. 
XX/XX/year>2024 : ( Please see page 2 with the corresponding receipts ) I returned to XXXX again for my third and final time. I bought items which totaled {$53.00}. Without incident, I unceremonially paid the balance with my debit card ( which I always do ) and left the store. 
Some weeks later I received a bill from XXXXComenity Capital Bank stating that I owed them money totaling some {$55.00}, plus interest and late charges. Sometime before that I might have received their credit card, but I did not care because I did not plan to use it. I ALWAYS USE MY DEBIT CARD!!! When I glanced at the balance of {$55.00}, I naturally thought it was the balance from the XX/XX/XXXX transaction which receipt clearly showed payment with a chip debit card ( Mistake # 2 ). No other receipt showed a balance closer to that amount than the XX/XX/XXXX balance of {$53.00}. Also, I believed that ALL THE OTHER BALANCES WERE ALREADY PAID UP. 
Only after I went to XXXX to plead my case was I ever told that their system would not have allowed me to pay with my debit card on the day I got their card. I did not believe them then because I showed them the paid XX/XX/XXXX receipt. Now I see that they were right because their system did not put through my debit card payment of the XXXX. AGAIN I WAS NEVER TOLD THAT BEFORE THEN! 
MISTAKE # 3 : Lack of Knowledge and Expanse of Time If XXXX credit card and my debit card were 2 separate entities which were not to be linked, as far as Comenity Capital Bank was concerned they should have reduced the amount requested by {$22.00}, or equally {$32.00}. If that could not be done, I should have been offered another form of credit for that amount. As far as XXXX was concerned, since the entities were not supposed to be linked, they should not have reduced the amount on the XXXX balance. However, since they did, they proved BY THEIR ACTIONS I WAS TOLD THE WRONG THING! 
Thus, both Comenity Capital Bank and XXXX can not plead ignorance of that complete XXXX transaction since they had all the information, and then turn around and deny me that same defense especially when XXXX action would betray that assertion and reinforce the belief that the debit card was indeed accessed to pay the original balance. Since I was told the wrong thing then and it has taken this long to figure out the whole thing STEMMING FROM THEIR ( XXXX  ) ORIGINAL MISTAKE # 1, I should not have to pay any extra late charges and interests generated. The late fees were accrued because no one understood what happened. If Comenity Bank and XXXX were to purposefully confuse a customer ( which I dont think they did in this case ) then later admit their mistake after a drawn-out battle, the customer should not be sattled with the increased costs when the mistake was realized out in the open. I will gladly pay ONLY the original amount upon resolution of this matter. In this way all three parties would be justly compensated. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief