Consumer complaint received 2023-11-15
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: WI
Product: Credit card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
I am a XXXX citizen on a fixed income and back in XXXX of XXXX, I financed gutters from Synchrony Bank. My monthly payments are {$150.00}. My payments began in XXXX of XXXX. In the beginning everything was fine as I sent my payments by mail to them. In XXXX of XXXX, I received a text from them saying they never received the payment, so I immediately called them and made that payment. At that time, I set up automatic withdrawal with them. In XXXX of XXXX, they took {$180.00} from my checking account, claiming I owed them a late fee. In XXXX of XXXX, I received another text message from them stating that they did not receive the payment. They told me the payment was declined. I contacted my bank and was told Synchrony Bank never tried to retrieve the payment. So again, I paid them over the phone. In XXXX of XXXX, they charged me {$190.00} including the late fee. So, I stopped the automatic payment, because I felt at that time, they were just taking my money because they could. In XXXX, XXXX and XXXX of XXXX I made a payment by their automatic system, and everything was fine, except when I made my XXXX payment, they tried to charge me a late fee for a late fee. They said I was late on my payment in XXXX, but I was not late. I made my payment on time I just didn't pay the late fee until a later date. I felt I didn't owe it to them, but someone told me if I didn't pay it, they may charge me interest on it, so I paid it at a later date. When I spoke with Synchrony Bank, they told me I had to pay a late fee for a late fee. I questioned that and asked, " how can you charge me a late fee for a late fee '' and they dismissed the late fee. On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a payment to Synchrony Bank on my debit card, but a few days later my card was stolen. So, I had to cancel that card. Knowing that I made a payment with my debit card I immediately reached out to Synchrony Bank and tried to make a payment with my checking account. That was on the XXXX of XXXX. Thinking the payment was made on the XXXX I didn't think nothing else about the payment until XX/XX/XXXX when I checked my account and noticed the payment had not been taken out. I then reached out to Synchrony Bank and the gentleman I spoke with told me the payment had a stop payment on it.I asked " how '' when I approved the payment. Again, I reached out to my bank, and was told Synchrony Bank never submitted anything for payment. Needless to say, the payment for XXXX was never made and of course they are charging me a stop payment fee, that I refuse to pay. I really started thinking that this bank is trying to scam or take advantage of me, so I reached out to different agencies who I thought might be able to help me, and I was referred to your office. I made a payment on XX/XX/XXXX, in the amount of {$310.00} and that's because I refused to pay the stop payment fee because there was no stop payment fee because I didn't stop payment on it. So, now with all that being said, is there something you can do to help me with this situation? When I paid by mail, they claimed they never received their payment, and I was charged a late fee, when I set up an automatic withdrawal, they claimed the payment was rejected and that resulted in late fees, when I called and made payments, they claimed the payment was stopped and that resulted in a stop payment fee. So, no matter what way I tried to make a payment to them, it is always a problem and I'm always being charged late fees. I have proof of every payment I have made to them. Please reach out to me if there is anything else that's needed. Thank you.

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