CFPB Expands Complaint Collection To Include Prepaid Cards, Additional Nonbank Products And Services

CFPB Prepaid Cards Consumer Complaints Title Loans Debt Settlement

On July 21, the CFPB announced that it is now accepting consumer complaints regarding (i) prepaid products, including gift cards, benefit cards, and general purpose reloadable cards; (ii) credit repair services and debt settlement services; and (iii) pawn and title loans.  The CFPB’s decision to field prepaid card complaints comes as the agency prepares a proposed rule related to those products. The press release states that the CFPB is planning to initiate the prepaid card rulemaking “in the coming months.”  Director Cordray recently stated the rule would be proposed at the “end of the summer.”

The CFPB provides the following options for consumers to identify the nature of their complaints:

• Prepaid Cards - (i) managing, opening, or closing your account; (ii) fees; (iii) unauthorized transactions or other transaction issues; (iv) advertising, marketing or disclosures; (v) adding money; (vi) overdraft, savings or rewards features; or (vii) fraud or scam.

• Credit Repair and Debt Settlement - (i) advertising and marketing; (ii) customer service/customer relations; (iii) disclosures; (iv) excessive fees; (v) unexpected/other fees; (vi) incorrect exchange rate; (vii) lost or stolen money order; (viii) lost or stolen check; or (ix) fraud or scam.

• Pawn and Title Loans – (i) charged fees or interest I didn't expect; (ii) can't stop lender from charging my bank account; (iii) received a loan I didn't apply for; (iv) applied for a loan, but didn't receive money; (v) lender charged my bank account on wrong day or for wrong amount; (vi) lender didn't credit payment to my account; (vii) can't contact lender; (viii) lender sold the property / repossessed or sold the vehicle; or (ix) lender damaged or destroyed property / vehicle.

As with all of the CFPB’s complaint categories, consumers also have an opportunity to describe their complaints regarding these new products and services in narrative form. Last week, the CFPB proposed a policy change under which it would publish those consumer complaint narratives, a move it hopes will increase the number of complaints the CFPB fields. At the same time the CFPB released its latest “snapshot” of consumer complaints, which provides an overview of the complaint process and summary analyses of complaints handled by the CFPB since July 21, 2011.