Consumer complaint received 2025-06-19 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC.
State: TN

Complaint narrative:
This transaction was sold to Midland Credit by XXXX. Midland Credit Account # XXXX Midland is now the owner of this debt. The amount according to Midland is {$1200.00}. They refuse to provide any information of the payment records from XXXX. I sent them my record and it is attached to you. In XXXX XXXX XXXX agreed to waive the late charge ( there is no grace period ) -- though administrative error did not waive the amount. From {$40.00} it has grown to {$1200.00}. 

The timeline history is as follows : On XXXX XX/XX/year>, I purchased a heat pump through my local HVAC contractor. The most attractive transaction was through XXXX. The finance plan was offered by XXXX, XXXX  months @ {$220.00} through its private brand agreement with XXXX. A 4.50 % APR. I applied online and was instantly approved with a {$20000.00} credit limit. The amount financed was {$9900.00}. 

The heat pump unit was installed on XXXX XX/XX/year>. There were no issues with the product or installation. 
Please keep in mind this was in the middle of the COVID epidemic. USPS mail service was an issue. There were days when mail delivery did not occur.

I inquired at the time of installation when the first payment due date was. I was told it is generally 30 days from the day of installation. I set up my Bank online payment for XXXX XX/XX/year> # XXXX payment of {$220.00}. I had the address, but not an account number. I was not aware of the no grace period restrictions. 

TIMELINE XXXX XXXX first payment was cashed by XXXX on XXXX XX/XX/year>. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I received a delinquent notice with a late charge. -- {$40.00} XXXX XXXX immediately I called the XXXX XXXX telephone number. I spoke to a XXXX and XXXX, the XXXX. I was told that the due date was XXXX XXXX and there was no grace period. I said I did not know when the due date was and estimated it would be around XXXX XXXX. Through our conversation, I learned that I was mailed a document that contained the credit card, due date information and account number. XXXX told me they would issue and mail and new account number with the due date. I was told to destroy the original card if ever received. Late charges were waived. : ) I told her that the payment # XXXX was already sent. 
XXXX XXXX -- -Payment # XXXX of {$220.00} was cashed by XXXX XXXX 
XXXX XXXX XXXX to inquired about the late charge and spoke to XXXX. She acknowledged that 2 payments were received to date and indicated there may have been an issue with having account numbers slowing the posting process. She said she understood my situation and all late charges would be waived. She cautioned me it could take up to 2 billing cycles for the late charge situation to be corrected and to show on my statement. 
XXXX XXXX To ensure, owing to having no grace period, I moved my online payment date to XXXX XX/XX/year> going forward. 
XXXX XXXX # XXXX of {$220.00} was cashed by Citi- 3 days before the due date. 
XXXX XXXX concerned that I was still receiving late charges on my statement, I telephoned the XXXX number and spoke to XXXX. 
XXXX verified that the XX/XX/XXXX payment was received on XXXX XXXX and that all late charges were reversed from my account. He confirmed that the next due date was XXXX XXXX. I felt relieved! This should be verifiable by the recording XXXX XXXX # XXXX of {$220.00} was cashed by XXXX days before the due date. 
XXXX XXXX # XXXX of {$220.00} was cashed by XXXX days before the due date. 

Payment # XXXX through # XXXX of {$220.00} was cashed by XXXX on average of XXXX days before the due dateSometimes XXXX in XXXX month. Over the course of the 48 months XXXX received my payment an accumulated 150 days before the due dates-Please see Exhibit B. Too bad XXXX does not reverse compound interest to the borrower. 

Over my adult life ( XXXX years ) I have enjoyed an XXXX credit rating. I am not a deadbeat! 
I have taken pride in this rating and my personal integrity. XXXX on the other had at best is an inefficient, bureaucratic bloated financial institution. I totally understand the financial dynamics. Providing a low loss leader interest rate, with no grace period that allow late charges and accruing interest to be easily added to reach a profitable yield spread. Very similar to loan sharks and lower tier consumer lenders. Their simple response was to delay, and deny and deny again. In the first 6 months I called XXXX XXXX and spend XXXX hours on the telephone. 
I was endeavoring to be conscientious and very concerned about my credit score, which plummeted from XXXX to XXXX by the end of XXXX. 

Over the term of the loan I have endeavored this reconcile this situation with XXXX. 
In fact by my records I have spoken to the following people over the XXXX year period. 
XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. I wrote a letter to XXXX XXXX response unit with no satisfaction. I receive a boiler plate letter that said it was investigated and they found I owe the money and to pay current, but they offered no proof. Only that they have investigated and found that I was incorrect. 

I just find it incredible that the third largest financial institution in the nation, with over XXXX  XXXX in assets and XXXX XXXXXXXX in net income can run roughshod over an individual consumer. An institution that admitted there was an administrative error and told him it would be rectivified, but never followed through. Then having the strategy of deny, deny, deny with no proof.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief