Consumer complaint received 2022-02-05
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: MN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Complaint:
In XXXX of XXXX I applied for and received an XXXX XXXX issued through Synchrony Bank. The rewards terms are fairly simple. Earn 3 points per {$1.00} spent on the first {$1000.00} of all XXXX purchases in a calendar year. After the {$1000.00} is met I was to earn 5 points for each dollar spent at XXXX each calendar year. Any other purchases off of XXXX earned either one point or two points for each dollar spent depending on where the purchase was made. 

There is only one condition to XXXX purchases and that is that XXXX purchases from international sellers only earn one point per dollar spent. The terms further make no mention of any restriction on points earned on payments made to XXXX for XXXX seller fees. 

Initially I phoned Synchrony bank starting the middle of XXXX. Each time I asked to speak to a supervisor. Each time I called, the supervisor agreed the points were being calculated wrong. I asked to speak to the rewards department but was refused each time. I then asked for a full audit of my rewards points. I was refused. Instead I was sent a vague form letter stating " we would like to help so please phone us '' I would phone but was told the same thing again. That the calculation looks wrong but you can not speak to the rewards department. I called again and this time I was told that my charges were from Paypal so the paypal charges do not qualify for the rewards program. Finally on XX/XX/XXXX I filed a BBB complaint. In response to this Synchrony bank sent the BBB a copy of the wrong terms for a different program called " XXXX XXXX rewards loyalty program. '' Sure these terms would have supported their position ( paypal charges do not qualify ) but it was not the terms I signed up for. The BBB closed my complaint as resolved. Paypal is merely the processing bank for all of XXXX charges. In XXXX of XXXX I filed a complaint with the Florida Attorney General 's office. XXXX XXXX XXXX from the bank responded to this saying that yes the agents had calculated my points based on the wrong program. But now there is new excuse. This being that many of my charges are from international sellers on XXXX and those purchases only qualify for one point not 5 points per dollar spent. 

Since I knew of no international purchases made I called XXXX and asked. XXXX audited my account and found no international purchases made on my account. See letter from XXXX attached. I sent XXXX XXXX a copy of the XXXX letter on XX/XX/XXXX. I have never heard back from XXXX XXXX or Synchrony bank. Further XXXX XXXX states that I can only earn one point for each dollar spent on XXXX seller fees. Although XXXX XXXX would like this to be the case there is no such restriction in the terms of the XXXX rewards program. 

I have enclosed a copy of my audit of all XXXX purchases and missing points. I have also enclosed a copy of the XXXX letter. 

Account : XXXX mastercard ending in XXXX.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation