Consumer complaint received 2023-03-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Personal information incorrect
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
XXXX. XX/XX/2022 I receive email " Your payment is due on XX/XX/2022 {$30.00} Due Date XX/XX/2022 Current Balance {$37.00} '' 2. Some day in the same month, I called Comenity Bank customer care to report the fraudulent account. It took me several days to find a person to speak to. The first call goes to general customer care where they already assume you are a customer, so they asked me questions like last 4 digit of SSN, my number and my address. I told them that I have never applied for this credit card and I am calling to report this account as id theft. By this time, I had already give the customer care guy my address. he said I don't have the card because there is no address on the account. To which I replied that's not the problem, I have not opened this account. Despite this, he took my address from me and added it to the fraudulent account. Nonetheless, no physical credit card was sent to my address even if they thought my account was legit. 3. XXXX, I called them again, took me 1 hour to speak to the general customer care, the lady then transferred me to account security and the call immediately got cut. Now I went through another 1 hour of waiting on the toll free number to get connected. In vain, virtually impossible. 4. I didn't see any accounts on my credit report either till this time, so I didn't panic. 5. XX/XX/XXXX I see a new account on my credit report so I panicked. I was outside USA. I came back and called them to report the fraud account on XXXX of XX/XX/XXXX. This time I called them in the night around XXXX on XXXX XXXX, I clearly remember, finally reached account security pretty quick. The lady reported the account and said debt will be removed and reported to credit bureau sooner next month. This was also the first time they sent me the statement at my address for the first time. I had never received any paper statement before ever in last 8 months. I think Comenity should provide proof if they have sent anything at my address, mail or credit card. I bet none was sent. 7. After this day I relaxed that I sorted everything out. I got no calls no mails from Comenity, mind it, I wasn't told that I am liable for any debt in this call. 8. XX/XX/XXXX I checked my credit score which still hadn't changed. Now I was angry so I raised a dispute with credit bureau, which resulted in account being validated in my name since everything matched including address. Remember address was provided by me in XXXX when I called to report the account, so it was fraudulently added by Comenity staff despite me calling to report the account as identity theft. Comenity should provide proof of address update CFBP. Comenity should also provide audit log of calls from my account, and the transcript. Comenity should provide proof of physical credit card sent to my address, and usage of this credit card. Comenity should provide any other credit card activity. 9. I called them again XXXX first week as I was traveling, This time it took me 1 and a half hours to reach Account Security. The lady told me that now I owe XXXX dollars approx and she can't do anything and it must be paid by me because I raised Dispute with XXXX and they found me responsible. To which I replied, they found me responsible because you legitimized my account by adding the address provided by me to a fraudulently opened account. She didn't listen to me instead she yelled at me as to why I reported the account so late on XXXX XXXX, that means she lied despite having access to call logs. Comenity should provide transcript of this call too. Anyway she strong-armed me to pay XXXX dollars and I agreed because I was held hostage to my credit score. Also, during this period I didn't receive any communication from them that the fine on this account was accumulating and I owed and debt until I called.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief