Consumer complaint received 2024-08-16 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/year>, I received a bill from Dell Technologies for renewal of XXXX XXXX XXXX plan. XXXX XXXX # XXXX. I paid the bill {$99.00} on XX/XX/year> from my XXXX checking account. The payment was made by bank check # XXXX. That check cleared on XXXX. 
Shortly thereafter, I received a Bill from Dell Technologies [ Comenity-Dell Pay XXXX, due XXXX, for the amount I had already paid. 

I checked the Dell web site, which showed the bill paid. I called Dell. I tried to speak with someone, but their message said their payment operations had been transferred to Comenity at the end of the year, and I would need to contact them. Then I would get disconnected. I tried many different ways to try to speak with someone. 

I contacted Comenity by phone and was told to submit a letter with my dispute. I did that. 
I received a letter from them dated XXXX confirming my dispute and claiming that my check had been cashed by another company and I would need to contact the other company. Again, I could not speak with anyone at Dell, so I wrote them a letter on XXXX explaining the problem. I have never received a response to that letter. I sent another letter to Comenity with a copy of the letter to Dell. 

Received letter dated XXXX from Comenity again comfirming my dispute assuring my account would be adjusted if there had been an error. 

Received letter dated XXXX from Comenity saying they contacted Dell ( their client ) on my behalf and the {$99.00} would be refunded to me. ( so I could pay again? ) That has never happened. 

I waited XXXX weeks for a refund, meanwhile, the bills keep coming with late fees and interest. And now, texts from collections. More phone calls from me to collections at Comenity. Form letter dated XXXX again comfirming my dispute. 

Phone call to Comenity mid XXXX. Now they are telling me that Dell refunded the money to me and I cashed the check. They can not, however, provide me with a copy of the check or tell me when said check was cashed. 

XXXX I was finally able to connect with someone at the Dell Support Line, by misdirection. XXXX XXXX confirmed, that the bill had been timely paid. No amount was owed and no refund had been issued. I have XXXX emails from him stating this. He said because of my trouble, they would refund the {$99.00} and I would not get any more bils from Comenity. I told him, I was not asking for a refund, just to have the bills go away. 

Since that phone call I received XXXX texts from Comenity Collections and a new Bill. The bill shows a credit of {$99.00} and {$170.00} still owing in fees and interest. 

I called Dell this morning ( now I know the trick ) and was told they could not do anything for me. They transferred me to Comenity. A supervisor by the name of XXXX informed me I would have to pay the remaining balance of {$170.00} in order to stop the add on of more fees and interest. 

I paid that this morning because I am beaten down and just want this to go away, before it damages my credit. I believe I am due a refund of {$170.00}. I want the refund by a check. I will never have any dealings with Dell or Comenity again. 

Thank you for anything you can so. It has been very stressful and I feel like I was just robbed of {$170.00} XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief