Consumer complaint received 2022-03-11
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Communication tactics
Sub-issue: Frequent or repeated calls

Complaint:
My complaint is against Synchrony Bank. I was deceived into business with Synchrony by PayPal credit products ... .line of credit and credit card.

During the pandemic I experienced a loss of income and was on a limited budget. I had to reach out to ALL of my creditors and 99 % of them worked with me throughout the entire duration of the pandemic! They were understanding and we're happy and courteous. Synchrony Bank the 1 % ONLY offered deferment 3 times!! Compared to 8-10 months by other creditors, I had ZERO late payments prior to the pandemic! 100 % on time payments. The other creditors understood that and we're willing to work with me to maintain a good relationship! Synchrony did not care!

I called several times asking for more help post the initial 3 times they deferred, I was repeatedly told no!! I was discriminated against! From that point I began to receive MANY phone calls multiple a day every day! I initially answered and again requested help, I was again unfairly denied. I felt harassed, discriminated against and even more depressed during the height of the pandemic, I had already been told NO when I requested help EVERYTIME since the initial 3 times since XX/XX/XXXX. I didn't pick up the phone just hoping they would stop! The calls persisted, often switching between different numbers. I remember ( XXXX ) XXXX, Ohio, and ( XXXX ) XXXX, Florida. The fact that I have those area codes memorized speaks volumes to the harassment and stress induced by Synchrony. 

The last time I spoke with them they tried to force me to close my account and get on a so called " customer assistance program '' which they DO NOT tell you doing so will damage your credit. The first time they offered that I declined and told them I don't want to have the account closed I am trying to build my credit and don't want a closed account as the pandemic is not my fault and my financial status at that time was not due to my own negligence or money mistakes. I just paid as soon as I could and as frequently as I could! 

Synchrony followed through with reporting negatively to the credit bureaus during the height of the Pandemic in XXXX! None of my other creditors not even my car loan, I have a 100 % payment history with all of my creditors EXCEPT Synchrony! 

This is HIGHLY unfair, discriminatory, deceptive, and predatory! I did NOTHING to deserve such treatment. I should've NEVER been harassed with a bombardment of phone calls from Synchrony bank. Their representatives are extremely rude, cold, heartless, and completely UNWILLING to work with you. When I call them again the ONLY option I was given was to make my account a NEGATIVE one by agreeing to close it. I later find out the close it and state that the account was closed by the creditor which was NOT stated when they offered there so called " customer assistance program '' it was made to sound as if " I '' was the one closing it being they asked for my permission and agreeance to do so!

I have contacted them directly multiple times to get those late payments removed. I feel and know they were wrong! They bullied me, forced me into agreeing to close it by not giving me any other options. They fell short of offering continued assistance as did ALL other major banks. They harassed me by calling MULTIPLES TIMES A DAY! They caused me to be under severe anxiety, stress and XXXX. Synchrony has changed the course of my families financial future by placing negative marks on my credit report and refusing to remove them which are set to be on there for 7 years!!! I am being punished as if I created the Corona virus and caused financial hardship. 

Synchrony has been completely heartless, and have failed to provide empathetic service. I would have NEVER chosen to be a customer of Synchrony. I was under the impression that I was getting PayPal credit line and a PayPal credit card. I guess in the small text I was actually getting into a relationship with Synchrony. 

Customer service has been abhorrent and heartless! I have contacted them in every way possible, via phone, email, prior complaints, reaching out to the CEO, the office of the president, and via XXXX which yielded abhorrent customer care. That representative had the audacity to tell me as I was expressing my complaint, she says " you realize you just talking to a regular customer service agent right? '' I say to her, '' then why am I speaking to you? '' They have failed to correct their wrong. They actually looked as if they were going to right this wrong, they corrected it partly but out of retaliation they went back and added negative remarks to my credit report, corrected part of the payment mistakes, then went back and reversed it and placed NEW history on my report for XXXX. The account was NOT active in XXXX. This behavior by Synchrony is wrong and they need to be held accountable for this behavior. 

Synchrony is so big that they don't care about me the customer, they only care about their bottom line. They are knowingly deceptive and earn more off of people with credit/financial problems which is why they make it easier for those with such credit profiles to obtain credit from them. They fail to educate the very people who have made mistakes because of a lack of financial education. They refuse to work with you even during a pandemic, Synchrony employees are trained to NOT be lenient, they want you to STAY in the challenged credit class! WHY??? BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE/MARKET! They want you to STAY financially damaged and challenged! Therefore when you need credit again, you are more than likely are forced to come back to them. XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX  ALL have credit education to help you become educated, free credit alerts and checks, with user friendly interfaces. They are willing to allow you to build a relationship with them and XXXX day qualify for higher credit products. Synchrony seeks out the financially/credit challenged and wants you to stay there. Synchrony 's has a systemic history of deceptive practices, discrimination, harassment, and predatory practices that ingrained into their culture! They are too big to care and all of their employees are trained to enforce their systemic rude habitual negligent predatory culture! An employee who called me as I was sitting in my doctors office waiting for him to o enter named XXXX XXXX @ the office of the president told me verbatim to just " give it up, nothing is going to change! '' With a snarky giggle! They are ABSOLUTELY the rudest most disgusting people ever!! This company takes pride in making the lives of their customers miserable and they gain satisfaction from doing so, and often in antagonistic ways! 

I want to be completely done with this company so that I can move on from this nightmare, I didn't ask to be in a realationship with them. I am tired of the bullying by them, and their deceptive practices. I want ALL 3 credit bureaus and subsequent reporting agencies corrected. I still have a PayPal credit card with them that I would also like to get rid of, but don't want closing it to negatively affect my credit!

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