Consumer complaint received 2019-02-13
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: TX
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest
Sub-issue: Problem with fees

Complaint:
I Received an unsolicited XXXX/Store/card in XX/XX/XXXX ( EXHIBIT 1 ), believing it to be from XXXX and being a long time member of XXXX XXXX, I placed an order of item/s of {$10.00} on XXXX ( EXHIBIT 1A and 1A1 ), and {$21.00} on XX/XX/XXXX ( EXHIBIT 1B1, 1B2 and 1B3 ). Total XXXX purchases ever was for {$32.00} using this card. No invoice was sent from XXXX or from anybody else, until I received a call from Synchrony Bank for late payment issues in late XX/XX/2018. I told them, I was expecting an invoice from XXXX for purchases, besides I did not apply for the XXXX Store Card from Synchrony bank, that their method of trapping customers by disguising to be what they are not, was unacceptable, the person I discussed this issue with, accepted my argument and waived the late charges so far, if I would pay {$46.00} immediately. 
As per our discussions with the customer service persons, I agreed to make a payment, total of {$46.00} before the due date of XX/XX/XXXX ( EXHIBIT 1C ) and all late fees and charges would be deleted. I paid over the phone the amount of {$46.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, to bring balance to XXXX as should have shown on the next billing cycle of XX/XX/XXXX ( EXHIBIT 1D ). EXIBIT 1D clearly shows the transaction date and the post date to be XX/XX/XXXX, it also shows late fees and charges added on XX/XX/XXXX on top of the fees that were agreed to be deleted. At the time of what I believed to be the final settlement, on XX/XX/XXXX I informed Synchrony I was never going to use the card. 

Over the course of about a week leading to the XX/XX/XXXX I spoke with several Synchrony Customer service agents, clearly stating my discontent as well as reason for not sending me the bill in time. No clear answer was given to me why they did not send me the bills prior to their call in late XXXX. 

Synchrony bank continued to harass me for late payments so I called XXXX Customer Service to complain and ask if Synchrony Bank is part of XXXX, the response was, I have to deal with the bank directly. Then the only course for me was to report this activity to the three credit bureaus, since they were reporting as delinquent account and affecting my credit score negatively. 
Payment History of Credit reporting record of all three bureaus shows in XXXX balance as cleared : - 1. XXXX  as on EXHIBITS 2 shows Repayment History of XXXX indicates OK as per payment of XX/XX/XXXX, EXHIBIT 2A of XX/XX/XXXX shows " closed {$140.00} past due as of XX/XX/XXXX '', EXHIBIT 2B generated on XX/XX/XXXX shows " The information you disputed has been verified as accurate ; however, information unrelated to your dispute has been updated ''. It also indicates payment of {$46.00} made on XX/XX/XXXX, contrary to my payment by phone on XX/XX/XXXX as acknowledged by Synchrony Bank in EXHIBIT 1D. Also the " Before your Dispute '' column of same EXHIBIT 2B, under status shows " closed {$100.00} past due as of XX/XX/XXXX '', whereas the " After Your Dispute '' column where the status entry and the amount seems to be redacted, only the " as of XX/XX/XXXX '' is showing. As of in EXHIBIT 2A the month of XXXX shows as OK. 
2 XXXX, EXHIBIT 3 shows the same as EXHIBIT 2 above. 
3. XXXX EXIBIT 4 has reporting issues ). The response to my dispute from XXXX ( EXHIBIT 4A )  states my dispute was verified as follows ; " The information you disputed has been verified as accurate, however, information unrelated to your dispute has been updated '' The credit bureaus limited my explanation to less than one and/or two hundred words, so they claimed I did not explain enough, hence they reverted to Synchrony to investigate the issue and get back with them. This is like delegating a fox to look after sheep. Synchrony Bank being, a multi-billion Dollar institution and provider of Private label credit cards for companies such as XXXX should not continue to pray on unsuspecting consumers by sending unsolicited credit cards and by not sending invoices in a timely fashion. But after agreeing on a fair settlement, instead of closing the issue, the operatives of the bank chose to fudge the date of settlement to fall after the due date and bring back the late payments and charges, which was agreed to be waived. 
No purchase using the card since the closing of the account by myself on XX/XX/XXXX, still the bank continues to claim it canceled my card, and continues to show the account as active. FROM THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE OF {$32.00} from XXXX, another giant, Synchrony Bank is working hard to make money fraudulently, from all charges showing manipulating the late payment of XXXX that we agreed to be waived, bringing forward to reflect in XXXX, and continuously have been adding late fees and subsequent charges of late payments to show current owed by me ( EXHIBIT 5A, 5B AND 5C ), and in all of them, the date of settlement payment is XX/XX/XXXX, and the latest fraudulent claim ( EXHIBIT 5C ) is for {$260.00}. 
ALL COMMUNICATION with Synchrony Customer Service should be recorded with them

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 monetary relief