My wife went to Ulta Beauty and bought some stuff. She swiped her AMEX card and left. Later, I start getting these emails from Comenity Bank (Bread Financial) and since I do not have an account with them I assumed it was spam (I had also not heard of them). Also received some mail from them. I opened it up and saw it was for a credit card with some debt on it, late charges, interest, etc. I chatted with my wife and she said she never opened an account (we do not own credit cards). Furthermore the account is in my name, not hers. It is tied to my social security, my email, etc. Chatting with them on the phone, I had the run around, accusations by their $10 hour employees accusing us of fraud, being deadbeats, etc. I did get them to agree verbally to take a payment for the products she purchased only, but nothing else (fees, interest) and to close the account. Their fraud department was contacted and they were useless.
However, they only wanted me to send a personal check or use my bank debit card. I offer to use a prepaid debit card, to which they refuse and claim they cannot process it. They talk about their policy, I remind them I never signed any agreement to such. I tell them my policy and I absolutely refuse to give them any more information about me considering I absolutely do not trust them. So I again offer to pay them via the Visa Debit card, or allow them to eat the cost and shut down the account. Their rep talks over me and eventually hangs up on me.
Checking my credit, I had frozen 2 out of the 3 bureaus a while back, and this one slipped through. I report them to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, I dispute it with the 3 credit agencies. I have not yet filed a police report. My credit has fallen from 840 down into the 730 range due entirely to this. I am considering purchasing a new home or possibly a new vehicle in the future but not within the next few months. I am slightly annoyed with the time sink and I while my logical brain tells me to pay this headache away, my emotional side is claiming, they are being assholes and running the Wells Fargo scam, so be an asshole back.
Any advice?