Consumer complaint received 2019-08-14
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: MA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
After Toys R Us closed, my Toys R Us credit card converted to a Synchrony Bank Mastercard. Since I began using this Synchrony Bank Mastercard, I have frequently been denied use - stuck at gas stations trying to pump gas or on the sidewalk waiting for an XXXX - because of Synchrony Bank Mastercard 's fraud alerts. Although I had permitted fraud alerts to my phone to which I could respond via text message that the charges were not, in fact, fraudulent and that I was still in possession of my card, I have consistently had to call the number on the Bank of my card to have my access to my line of credit restored. This has been happening approximately monthly. Each time I have called to complain, I have asked why my card keeps getting flagged for frozen, despite the fact that I will use my card in the same manner ( i.e. pattern ) for days to weeks at a time before my card is frozen due to suspected fraud, and I have asked each time that I call that my call be logged as a complaint. Despite numerous calls to Synchrony Bank Mastercard, my card continues to be regularly frozen, and I am forced to spend approximately 15 minutes on the phone with Synchrony Bank Mastercard every time I have to call them to unfreeze my card. During at least my last 3 to 4 calls, I have asked that someone call me back either to address my complaint. I have never received a response. 

Recently, my card was declined and frozen on Wednesday, XX/XX/2019 when I was standing at the curb outside of work waiting for an XXXX to take me home. I did not receive a fraud alert text until after I called in to have my card unfrozen. The customer service representative verified all of the charges on the card recently - my train ticket in the morning from the commuter rail, my XXXX from the train station to my job site, and my XXXX from the job site home. Synchrony Bank Mastercard seems incapable of recognizing preauthorization charges ( especially in regard to XXXX ) and automatically freezes cards. I had my call escalated and advised the 2nd customer service representative that I call almost monthly, and I have had enough, to log this as a complaint, and if I do not hear back from someone soon about how this ongoing issue will be resolved, I will be cancelling my card. After I hung up, I saw that I received a call from a Texas number which was apparently someone else at Synchrony Bank Mastercard telling me I could use my card again something the representative I was one the phone with was denying me. By the time I listened to that message, I had already selected another card for use to get myself home. 

Today, on Tuesday, XX/XX/2019, the same thing happened. I tried to book an XXXX home and my card was denied. No text verification. I took out my wallet and called the number on the back of the card. The first representative verified my identity and escalated my call without my asking because he could not unfreeze my card. The 2nd representative advised me that he could not use my primary phone number to unfreeze my card, nor my primary email, and that I would have to provide a second phone or email. I advised him that I did not have one and that the information they have on file for me, that I provided, is correct and should be sufficient. I was told it was insufficient to unfreeze my card. I asked that the call be escalated again. I was told that I was already speaking with a manager and there was no one else to whom to escalate the call. I noted that my card is frozen too often and I will be cancelling my card and that this call should be logged as a complaint and that I will be reporting this pattern of behavior to the CFPB. 

As soon as I use my cash back rewards ( the representative on the phone with me could not tell me what or if I had any in my account ) I intend to cancel this card. Synchrony Bank Mastercard should be examined in regard to their credit card operations, specifically in reference to the Consumer Complaint Response portion of their Compliance Management System as well as for Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ( UDAAP ). 

Synchrony Bank Mastercard 's frequent freezing of the use of my credit card was unfair. It caused substantial injury to me in stealing from me time and energy calling in to have my card unfrozen on an ongoing basis ; despite my explaining to Synchrony Bank Mastercard the ongoing nature of this problem, my pattern of use, and my wishes that this issue be resolved, the situation did not change or improve and the injury I suffered in lost time and energy as well as the use of the benefits associated with my use of this card ( like when I had to rely on another card ) was not reasonably avoidable by me, despite me best efforts. This injury was not outweighed by any countervailing benefits to consumers or to competition because it only inconvenienced me beyond a reasonable standard and discouraged my use of the line of credit I had been rightfully granted.

Synchrony Bank Mastercard 's frequent freezing of the use of my credit card was also deceptive. I was led to believe that Synchrony Bank Mastercard would allow me to use the credit card for which I was approved in a reasonable manner, in accordance with my predictable patterns of us. Instead, I was misled, as demonstrated by Synchrony Bank Mastercards regular denial of my use of the credit card and lack of proactive measures in alerting me of any suspected fraud. My interpretation and expectation of being able to reasonably use the credit card for which I had been approved was reasonable under the circumstances. No other card that I have ever had has been so problematic with one, persistent issue that disabled me from accessing my line of credit. Synchrony Bank Mastercards misrepresentation of its card product is material, as it unreasonably impacted my access to the line of credit for which I had been approved. 

Finally, Synchrony Bank Mastercards frequent freezing of the use of my credit card was abusive. If there were a way for me to prevent the frequent freezing of my card, for me to understand how to stop this frequent denial, Synchrony Bank Mastercard never advised me as to how any time I called, and despite requesting a call back from someone to resolve this issue on several occasions, my request for help was never answered ; one ever reached out or left a message. Synchrony Bank Mastercard took unreasonable advantage of my inability to protect my interests in using the credit card product or service and my reasonable reliance that the customer service staff would respond appropriately to my complaints and help to resolve them. 

The frequency with which the issue occurred is also indicative of an abusive practice, because Synchrony Bank Mastercard was alerted of the issue and failed to respond to either me or its fraud-detection-system dysfunction in a timely or reasonable manner. Synchrony Bank Mastercards lack of response or escalation of my complaints also demonstrates a failing in the Consumer Complaint Response portion of its Compliant Management System. Overall, the financial institution 's disregard of its duties to reasonably honor the line of credit I was granted discouraged me from using my card to the point where I will be winding it down and closing it, and bad faith on the part of a financial institution, generally. 

As an added complaint, every time a customer calls in, they have to provide their full name exactly as it appears on their card, with their middle initial, and Synchrony Bank refuses to change the name on the card to any name other than what is on an individual 's driver 's license, even if that is not the name they commonly go by - unless I was misinformed by their customer service.

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