Consumer complaint received 2026-01-02 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: Atlanticus Services Corporation
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
CFPB Complaint Description ( Revised Paste Below ) I was directly impacted by the government shutdown, which resulted in the loss of my job and an immediate interruption of my income. I am currently not working and will not begin new employment until the last week of this month. I contacted XXXX proactively and in good faith to request temporary hardship assistance, payment accommodation, or any reasonable relief during this period. 

During a live chat with XXXX Account Services, I explained my situation in detail and requested assistance. XXXX declined my request to work with me, advising that no hardship or modification programs were available. I was further told that in order to waive {$52.00} in late fees, I would first be required to make a paymentdespite having already explained that I had no income at the time due to the shutdown. This condition effectively denied relief to a consumer experiencing documented financial hardship. 

Throughout my communications, I was provided conflicting and inconsistent payment amounts, including {$140.00} and {$81.00}, without any clear explanation of how these figures were calculated or which amount was accurate. I was repeatedly instructed to call multiple phone numbers in an attempt to resolve the issue. 

In addition, I received a phone call from a number claiming to represent XXXX and was instructed to call XXXX. During the same chat conversation, I asked the XXXX  agent to verify whether this number was legitimately associated with XXXX  The agent stated that they did not recognize the number and could not confirm that it belonged to XXXX 

Separately, my mobile carrier, XXXX, identified XXXX as a possible scam number and played a recorded warning advising me to hang up and not continue the call. This created serious concern regarding unverified, misleading, or potentially improper collection communications associated with my account. 

Due to the repeated misinformation, lack of clear explanations, conflicting payment amounts, and the inability of XXXX representatives to verify contact information, I formally requested that XXXX cease and desist all phone and text communications and communicate only in writing. This request was made to protect myself from further confusion, unverified calls, and potential misuse of information. 

During the chat, I also requested documentation of the conversation, clarification of hardship review criteria, and information on escalation options. The agent was unable to provide this information. I experienced significant communication barriers and was not offered a meaningful escalation path or the ability to speak with an onshore XXXX representative or supervisor. 

Despite my proactive outreach and good-faith effort to resolve the issue, XXXX refused to work with me during a government shutdown and temporary unemployment, failed to provide consistent or verifiable information, and conditioned fee relief on payment when I had no income. These practices left me without clear options or reliable assistance during a financial emergency.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief