Consumer complaint received 2020-11-17
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
State: ID
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
Dear Sir or Madam, I have an AppleCard with Goldman Sachs that I pay the balance on in full each month. On XX/XX/2020, I received two separate refunds totaling {$440.00}. I contacted the company on five different occasions to inquire as to how the credit balance on my credit card would be handled seeing that there was no balance on the card to offset this credit. Initially I was told that the credit would not be refunded as there was a purchase for an XXXX XXXX made with 24 monthly installments for 0 % interest. I was told that the credit would go to pay all but {$7.00} for the XXXX XXXX. I then made a payment of {$7.00} to pay my balance in full. 

Several days after my initial contact with Goldman Sachs, the credit amount to my credit card still showed as - {$440.00}. Additionally, the AppleCard app showed that I still owed an unpaid balance of {$440.00} for my XXXX XXXX. I called again and was transferred several times between customer services agents. I ultimately spoke with a Apple Card supervisor. During this phone call I was told that there was a system issue which prevented the credit balance from being applied to the monthly installment plan for the XXXX XXXX I purchased. The supervisor put in a ticket to try to resolve this issue, and assured me that the credit balance would be applied for the full amount of the remaining XXXX XXXX balance. 

Several days later, the credit and monthly installment balances still remained unchanged on the AppleCard app transaction history. I contacted Goldman Sachs again and asked to speak directly with another supervisor. This time I was told that the credit could not be applied towards the XXXX XXXX purchase that I had made due to limitations with their system. I was told that I would be receiving a refund for {$410.00} to my bank account which was linked as a payment account for my AppleCard. The amount of the refund was {$30.00} less than the original credit amount because there was a recurring charge to my credit card account which posted to the account. 

The original credit amount was no longer sufficient to pay off the remaining balance of the XXXX XXXX. My plan was to wait until the refund posted to my bank account, and the pay off the total balance remaining on the XXXX XXXX installment plan. Unfortunately several more days past while waiting for the refund to post to my bank account which is the linked payment account for my Goldman Sachs AppleCard. No refund was ever issued. 

I called AppleCard customer support with Goldman Sachs again and asked to speak directly with a manager. This time I was told that no refund would be issued. I was also told that the credit balance on my credit card could not be applied as payment for the XXXX XXXX. Additionally, I was told that I would have to spend all of the credit amount first by making purchases with my credit card. Only after I spent all {$410.00} of the remaining credit, would their system update and allow me to the pay the balance of another {$410.00} for the XXXX XXXX. In essence I would have to spend {$830.00} in order to be made whole with my credit and in paying off my XXXX XXXX balance. Lastly, I was told that I could do nothing to close the account until the XXXX XXXX was paid for in full. Because of the glitch in the AppleCard system, I am unable to pay the remaining balance on the XXXX XXXX purchase until all of the credit I have on the credit card is used up in full. 

This whole situation makes me question whether I am being taken advantage of by Goldman Sachs. It seems to me if I received a refund for a product or service that I no longer want, I should be able to use that money to pay off another purchase that appears on the same credit card. The credit card vendor should not be in a position to force a customer to engage in additional spending and debt to use a credit like in this situation. Whats more is that I am being forced to spend twice what the original refund that was made to my credit card just so that I can have a {$0.00} balance on the credit card. I never once asked Goldman Sachs for a refund to my bank account. All I was hoping to do was in paying for the remaining balance on the XXXX XXXX I had financed on a monthly pay schedule.The cash refund was originally offered by Goldman Sachs as a workaround due to the limitation of their online system. This offer was later rescinded without any notice or explanation. In fact, with the last interaction with the Goldman Sachs manager ( her name was XXXX ), she told me that neither she nor Goldman Sachs as a company would be accountable or responsible for any earlier promises that were made in trying to rectify this situation. I interpreted this statement as they could say or do anything they wanted and later change their minds without reproach. 

I truly believe that this manager and Goldman Sachs are forcing me to spend more money in using a credit that was issue to me rather than apply it to another purchase that was financed with monthly payment using this same credit card. This seems inherently wrong. I would ask that the person reviewing my complaint look into these practices at Goldman Sachs and AppleCard as I have exhausted all avenues at my disposal in handling this issue as a consumer. 

Thank you for your time taken to address my concerns.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation