Consumer complaint received 2015-12-04
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: OH
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease

Complaint:
XXXX, SYNCHRONY, AND XXXX On XXXX XXXX, 2015 I won the auction on XXXX, Item No. XXXX. I tried to complete the purchase using my PayPal Smart Connect credit line. I was given the choice ofusing my checking account, XXXX credit or my XXXX XXXX but not PayPal Smart Connect. My PayPalSmart Connect had a credit line available of over {$1600.00} which was more than I even needed tocomplete this purchase. 

When I tried the PayPal credit, thinking maybe this included PayPal Smart Connect, I received amessage which I will paraphrase : " This can not be used for this transaction at this time. '' Confused and aggravated, I contacted XXXX. To my amazement, their customer servicerepresentatives could not explain why I was being denied credit from PayPal Smart Connect. I wasembarrassed and contacted the seller who was legitimately aggravated. 
I called XXXX again and this time I reached someone who told me that a seller had to be set up to collect from PayPal Smart Connect. I went through a number of listings and nowhere did XXXX indicate that PayPal Smart Connect was accepted for the purchase of any listed item. XXXX and credit cards are accepted and listed and PayPal Smart Connect is not. 
In further research I decided to email a number of sellers and asked if they accepted PayPal Smart Connect. Of about XXXX only XXXX said they would accept PayPal Smart Connect and approximately XXXX said they had no clue what PayPal Smart Connect was. XXXX said they would look into whether or not they could set up or they would get an answer for me. Those XXXX never responded. 
I decided to file a complaint against XXXX. The complaints were filed with the Ohio Attorney General ( XXXX ), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( XXXX ) and the California Attorney General which so far has not responded. 
After the complaints were acknowledged on XXXX XXXX, 2015 it was interesting to note that I was finally able to put through the payment for the watch on XXXX XXXX. On XXXX XXXX I received a message and letter from XXXX. The letter noted that the payment was put through and that XXXX is not at fault. XXXX then advised that Synchrony Bank is the company that holds the PayPal Smart Connect lines of credit. 
The letter infuriated me but caused me to decide to send XXXX separate complaints naming XXXX, XXXX, and Synchrony Bank. Each of the complaints are being sent to the Ohio Attorney General and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The complaints name XXXX, who should note which sellers accept PayPal Smart Connect ; XXXX which fails to have revealed that the credit line is limited to sellers who actually accept PayPal Smart Connect. In addition, XXXX never notified me that PayPal Smart Connect accounts owned by Synchrony Bank and they also failed to have a staff knowledgeable in the products they manage. I finally learned of Synchrony Bank only after receiving the letter of XXXX XXXX, 2015, a copy of which I have attached. 
Imagine the frustrations of sellers and buyers alike when a sale does not go through even though the buyer is told they have sufficient credit lines according to XXXX. ( Please see the attached blogs. ) I personally had to pass on XXXX watches being sold for about 10 % of their value. Each watch had a sales price of {$490.00}. Since they had proper documentation I could have sold them at a minimum of XXXX times the purchase price and made a good profit.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation