Consumer complaint received 2021-09-15
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
Im writing to report the abusive practices and incompetence of Synchrony Bank with regard to my XXXX/Synchrony credit card, practices that included broken promises, conflicting information, and disgraceful customer service for 11 months which finally resulted in a mishandling of my dispute with a scammer vendor that any other credit card would have resolved in our favor. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, we purchased a XXXX XXXX XXXX laptop computer from a merchant on XXXX for {$1200.00} using our XXXX/Synchrony Bank credit card XXXX Soon after the purchase, we began to have problems with the units power system. After a year and a half of purchasing a series of batteries and power adapters, we found many complaints about this model of XXXX XXXX saying it was a lemon. I reached out to the merchant about how the computer had failed but he refused to accept a return, refund or exchange. 

On XX/XX/XXXX - I called the credit card Id used for the purchase - XXXX/Synchrony Bank - about the possibility of disputing the purchase of a faulty XXXX XXXX  on XXXX. I explained the timeline, to make sure it was a valid dispute given how much time had passed. THE REPRESENTATIVE ASSURED ME THAT MY CLAIM WAS WITHIN SYNCHRONYS ALLOTTED TIME FOR VALID DISPUTES. The representative opened the claim and advised me on how to follow up with my supporting documentations. The rep told me to mail a detailed history of the claim along with receipt, history of the purchase of replacement batteries, and all documented attempts to reach merchant to : Synchrony Bank/XXXX , XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, FL XXXX XXXX The phone call CONFIRMATION # was : XXXX On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email alert taking me to an affidavit from Synchrony Bank confirming they are reviewing my claim and are working to resolve it. 

From XX/XX/XXXX-1XX/XX/XXXX, my partner ( additional cardholder ) and I spent many hours gathering the aforementioned documentation and logging a detailing history of our claim. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I mailed a detailed history of my claim and all supporting evidence to Synchrony Bank via USPS Within a week ( late XX/XX/XXXX ) I received a text confirmation that Synchrony Bank was working on my claim but that it would take longer than usual due to COVID-19. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received via email a survey about how well I felt my claim was handled, now that it had been resolved. I had not heard it had been resolved. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Synchrony Bank about the survey and asked what was going on? How could my claim have been resolved when I had not heard anything about it? The representative put me on hold to research my claim. When she returned, she claimed that the dispute was not resolved, was still on-going and that I would hear from them. The representative reassured me and told me that things were taking longer due to COVID. So I deleted that survey email. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Synchrony Bank for an update. The representative told me the claim was resolved. She said it had been denied because Synchrony Bank only disputes purchases made within 60 days of the claim. She claimed Synchrony Bank sent me an email on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, telling me claim was closed. She said it was both a letter attached to my account portal AND a letter would have been mailed to me. But I didnt have an on-line account for Synchrony Bank, therefore have no portal. AND I received NO letter in the mail. In fact, the only email I got from Synchrony Bank was on XX/XX/XXXX, telling me Synchrony Bank was reviewing my claim!!! 

On XX/XX/XXXX, Synchrony Bank lowered my credit from {$6000.00} to {$1000.00} even though Ive always paid my balance in full on time, because of inactivity, which for me- is due to COVID. This actually BROUGHT DOWN MY CREDIT SCORE - right when I was considering moving to New York!!! 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Synchrony Bank to clear up all these discrepancies. The rep ( XXXX ext XXXX ) said the claim is still open, that they usually take 45-60 days - but because the purchase was so long ago - and due to COVID - its taking longer than usual. She also said that the information that Synchrony Bank DOES NOT LIMIT CLAIMS TO ONES GOING BACK 60 DAYS!!! 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Synchrony Bank and spoke with XXXX who said claim is closed She OPENED A NEW DISPUTE, said it will take 90 days. She said that in XXXX days, Id be getting a letter. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a digital email from Synchrony Bank saying, We have received an inquiry on your account regarding an amount of {$1200.00} dated XX/XX/XXXX. We are unable to locate a transaction matching that information on your account. I had no idea what this meant. It was confusing. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received another survey. Hi! Thanks for working with us on your recent XXXX account dispute, resolved on XX/XX/XXXX. We hope your inquiry was handled quickly and easily! To improve the service we provide, wed like your feedback. Please take a few moments to complete this short survey regarding your experience. Again, since Id not been informed of any resolution, I was confused and frustrated. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called and spoke with Pia who looked up our case and said it was resolved in our favor, will be getting a letter in the mail with the details in 7-10 days. I never got this letter. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called and spoke with XXXX  who confirmed the dispute was resolved in our favor on XX/XX/XXXX. She said I would receive a letter XX/XX/XXXX, that the money would be credited to our account right away but that it would take 1-2 billing cycles before the funds could be mailed to us as a check. Again, I received no letter. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I opened an on-line portal for my Athleta credit card account ( which also was a protracted process because I could not close my on-line portal for my GAP ( also Synchrony ) card account that I closed many years ago. ) After finally getting on-line, to my surprise, I STILL had not been credited the amount of the dispute being told TWICE it was resolved in my favor. So I called and spoke with a customer rep who said the dispute was NOT resolved in my favor. This time, after so much misinformation and obfuscation, I asked to speak to a supervisor. He transferred me to a manager. This woman, whose name I forget unfortunately, was rude and patronizing. From the start, she would not let me finish a sentence until I had to assert myself. Even then, she did not listen to anything I said and shut me and my partner down. She said it was never resolved in our favor and when Customer Service Reps say that, it simply means it was resolved. Period. She said that the confusing email from XX/XX/XXXX was because the customer rep ( XXXX ) who reopened the dispute on XX/XX/XXXX put the wrong date down. This manager took no responsibility for the gross incompetence of Synchrony Banks staff through-out entire process. She also claimed that - as opposed to what I was told SEVERAL TIMES- including from the VERY START, the dispute was too old. Though she re-opened the dispute but said that Synchrony Bank will never resolve this dispute in our favor because I still have the computer and it was too long ago. The fact that I asked about the time period on the first day I called, almost a year agoand was assured it was fine, and the fact that I continued to be told that again, during the middle of the processwas irrelevant to her. This is CONTRARY to what I was told originally. Nor is it what I was told through-out the process. Synchrony Bank wasted a week of our time spent gathering the materials, as well as countless hours on these phone calls. They also brought down my credit rating even though I always paid on time. Any other credit card would have resolved this in our favor. Synchrony Bank is reckless and abusive of its customers.

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