Consumer complaint received 2024-06-05 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.
State: AZ

Complaint narrative:
I opened a Torrid credit card which is supplied by Comenity bank in a Torrid store in early XXXX. I used it in store and paid the balance same day in store for {$160.00}. On XX/XX/XXXX, I decided to log in to my Torrid account to make sure that the balance was {$0.00}. I could not log in to my account. I called the Torrid helpline back and forth on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX to try to get access to my account. It was during these calls that I learned that my payment of {$160.00} never went through. At this point, I just wanted to pay the amount. But I couldn't. Because I could not log in to my account. Customers can pay over the phone, but it costs an extra {$9.00}. I explained to the customer service rep that I can't pay online because I can't log in and she agreed to waive the {$9.00}. So on XX/XX/XXXX, I was able to pay my balance of {$160.00} over the phone. The whole experience had been so frustrating, that I also asked them to close the account that day. I received a confirmation email on XX/XX/XXXX that the payment of {$160.00} had been processed. I never thought about it again. 

Then, on XX/XX/XXXX, I got a text message that I had a payment past due. I called the helpline on XX/XX/XXXX and the balance I owed was {$160.00}. This is now the third time I've tried to pay the balance. I paid the balance that day, XX/XX/XXXX, and made sure the account was closed. I never thought about it again. 

Then, on XX/XX/XXXX, I got a text message to call Comenity bank. I call the helpline on XX/XX/XXXX and they tell me I have late fees on my account totaling {$63.00}. They explain that my account was past due as of XX/XX/XXXX, that the balance of {$160.00} was due by XX/XX/XXXX. They tell me that as of XX/XX/XXXX, a late fee of {$30.00} was applied. An additional {$3.00} of interest was added and then on XX/XX/XXXX, another {$30.00} late fee was applied. I explained that I tried to pay my balance multiple times and that I was never informed of a late fee on XX/XX/XXXX. They transfer me to a supervisor. The supervisor said that they would pull the phone call from XX/XX/XXXX in order to waive the late fees. The supervisor said someone would call me back by XX/XX/XXXX, but that if I did not hear back, I could call back. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I receive a phone call from Comenity bank. I answer. It is an automated message that says to call x number. That was the whole message. It was one sentence. It said the number one time. And then it hung up. I did not get a chance to write the number down, nor would anyone else, as it was not humanly possible to do so in such a quick message. So, I called the helpline the same day, on XX/XX/XXXX, to ask about it. The very first customer service rep I spoke to knows nothing about the call. I hang up and try again. The second customer service rep I spoke to, before I say anything, offers to wave {$15.00} off my late charges if I pay them now. I say I was just returning a call. The rep doesn't know anything about it so I hang up. I figure I will get another call or I can just call back on XX/XX/XXXX as was previously discussed. 

By XX/XX/XXXX, I have not received any more messages from Comenity Bank so I call the helpline on XX/XX/XXXX. I explain my situation to the service rep and they said that my account is not eligible to have any late fees waived, that my balance is still {$63.00}. She said my account was not eligible because it was closed and that my account would be eligible again in 18 months. ( A closed account can have fees waived after 18 months? How does that work? After I've accrued 18 months worth of late fees and my credit is destroyed?? Then what? They'll waive one?? ) She also said that I already had a late fee waived on my account. I asked her which one. I only ever had XXXX and they are both still there. She put me on hold for a while and then said that she couldn't see the date that it was waived. I asked her, but you can see that it was waived? She danced around the question until finally she said that she didn't actually know whether a fee had ever been waived. She then transferred me to a supervisor. 

The supervisor I spoke to basically said the same thing. She said the late fees could not be waived because my account was not eligible because it was closed. I told her about the phone call I made on XX/XX/XXXX where a supervisor and I spoke at length about my troubles. The supervisor I spoke to on XX/XX/XXXX knew that my account was closed and she still offered to waive the fees after reviewing the phone call from XX/XX/XXXX. I also told her that I called a customer service rep on XX/XX/XXXX who offered to waive {$15.00}. I asked her how my account is not eligible if XXXX separate people were offering waiving fees. She wouldn't answer the question. I asked her why, when I paid my balance of {$160.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, was I not informed of a {$30.00} late fee. She said even though the late charge was incurred on XX/XX/XXXX, it doesn't actually apply to the account until XX/XX/XXXX. She said even if I was told on XX/XX/XXXX that I was being charged a late fee, I would not be able to pay it on XX/XX/XXXX. ( Make it make sense. ) She said again that my account was not eligible to have any late fees waived. I ended the call. 

I am so worried about having more late fees added and having my credit affected by this. I just want it done. I called again on XX/XX/XXXX and paid the {$63.00} of late fees. The automated system asked for my bank account and routing number. I gave it and then it immediately went back to the main menu options. How do I know if the payment was made? Even if the automated system said something about accepting the payment, it's not like that would be any more reassuring. I've made payments before, received confirmation, and then they have not gone through. I called my bank, XXXX XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX, to tell them I was making a payment to Comenity bank and not to flag it or whatever. They said they didn't see any pending payments yet, but that there was nothing wrong with my account so there's no reason it wouldn't go through. 

In summary, I have made several good faith attempts to pay my balance with Torrid/Comenity Bank XXXX There is nothing wrong with my debit card, checking account, or bank. Comenity Bank makes it intentionally difficult to pay balances so they can add predatory late fees. They are a scam.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief