Consumer complaint received 2019-02-26
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: OH
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Problem when making payments

Complaint:
I have a complaint with Synchrony Bank, regarding my CareCredit account. First, I will admit I have been delinquent on my account and I am not denying I have fallen behind regarding even my minimum payments. After living in XXXX XXXX for 20 years, I moved out because it has become too expensive to live there over the years. I moved to the outer area of XXXX, OH, and living with my elderly father to assist him since he is alone but does not need a caretaker. 

After I arrived, I attempted to call Synchrony to make payment arrangements to make some payment on my account. I had received a letter regarding that my account had been forwarded to a collections agency. On XX/XX/18, I attempted to call the collections company, but no luck as the agent I was talking to didnt seem to understand English as I had repeated my name five times - even spelling it, and the person still could not comprehend what I was telling him or her, for I couldnt tell. Frustrated, I then called Synchrony Bank directly to make contact and was able to get through. The person I spoke with understood me and seemed like she knew what she was doing, not an offshore call center and she sounded older. I let her know my financial situation at the time, that I would be making payments on my account but I wasnt exactly sure when exactly I would be making them. But at least one {$100.00} payment on my account in the next month. She continued to notate on my account, and asked me if I could make two payments around certain dates ; I agreed to making two payments in the month of XX/XX/2018. I gave her a ballpark idea of dates since I was unemployed ; she set actual dates I needed to make payment by : XX/XX/18 and XX/XX/18, but never let on as those being exact set dates. This whole time, I stated with the assumption I was making an old school, promise-to-pay on my account and that I would be making the two {$100.00} payments myself online, not permitting Synchrony to automatically take two {$100.00} payments in XX/XX/2018 on set dates. She also verified my account information, including my checking account was still the same. 

So thinking I was late with my first payment, I made an online payment myself XX/XX/18 to Synchrony for {$100.00}. A few days later XX/XX/18, another payment for {$100.00} was processed by Synchrony automatically and not by me. I didnt notice this for at least a week, and was baffled how that happened. I went online XX/XX/18 and removed my checking account information to prevent this from happening again since {$200.00} was paid as promised by then. Days after I removed my bank information, another {$100.00} payment was processed on XX/XX/18 by Synchrony. As soon as I caught this on XX/XX/18, I called Synchrony to file a complaint and have the payment credited back to me as financially this put my checking account in the red. I told them I never authorized for them to automatically take money out of my account for payments and that I agreed to make the two {$100.00} payments myself online. I was transferred over to a supervisor, but the issue was not resolved at that moment as the blame seemed to be put on me by her, and that if I verified my account information including my checking account information, that I was authorizing them to automatically process payments to my Synchrony account. I was also told that my complaint would take 30 days to investigate before I would be considered for a refund. I asked how could they legally still process a payment if I had removed my checking account information from my profile, but no clear answer was given except that I had verified my checking account information and thus permitting money to be withdrawn by Synchrony. 

Weeks later, I called back Synchrony and told them to stop my claim as that third payment would cover me for XXXX payment, even though I did not approve for them to automatically take it from my checking account. This call was to an offshore call center, and agent assumed if you are not working you can collect unemployment. And of course, they asked for more payment. Also did not receive anything in writing from Synchrony in regard to these payments nor any emails.

So basically at this point, I am apprehensive to make payment to Synchrony because of this that occurred. I would think what they did was wrong on their part. Please investigate the practices of Synchrony CareCredit, so this does not happen again. And if I was wrong, then I understand but I know from my perspective what my intentions were.

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