Consumer complaint received 2019-05-08
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: DE
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with rewards from credit card

Complaint:
I am writing to complain about Synchrony Bank, the issuer of XXXX XXXX XXXX   MasterCard Credit Card, the company 's recent unethical Cash Reward practice has unfairly treated customers like me and also ruined my credit record. 

I have had this credit card since XXXX, the credit card has a cash reward program for purchases not just in XXXX XXXX XXXX.stores. in the past, the company mailed out a cash back check in XXXX each year. I had no problem receiving the check even after I stopped renewing my XXXX XXXX XXXX membership back in XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, the cash back check did not arrive, instead, I suddenly received an email on XX/XX/XXXX from Synchrony Bank that this year 's cash back reward will automatically be loaded onto my XXXX XXXX XXXX membership account and I will need to redeem my cash back rewards at the store ( see the attached image ). I called the Customer Service and also spoke to a manager. I explained that I do not have XXXX XXXX XXXX membership anymore. I offered that I can pay off my remaining balance and closed my card after my {$150.00} or so Cash Back points are applied as statement credit. The manager refused and she said that I would need to go back to renew my XXXX XXXX XXXX membership in order to get my cash back reward. I protested that I had never been given any notice of this sudden change and I had been advised in the past by their customer service people that I was still allowed to use this card without my XXXX XXXX XXXX membership. The manager even told me that it costs only XXXX dollars to renew the club membership, in return I got XXXX dollars cash back rewards. the math makes sense indeed, however it prompted me to believe the bank did this to help XXXX XXXX XXXX increase its sales revenue while many customers like myself could end up losing my cash back rewards and the bank benefited from the customers ' loss. I called the bank the next day again, I told the customer service woman ( she sounds like someone located in XXXX ) that I would like to request a hold on my card and would also like to dispute all my charges on my Credit Card based on the fact that I was misled and the bank failed to inform me properly. I made it clear that it would be my last bill and I would like to speak to the bank further to resolve our differences before I pay my last bill. the woman heisted but eventually agreed to log in a dispute case for me. However, the bank never contacted me regarding my dispute, days later, I received my bill statement with an added late fee and financial charges. I called the customer service again and made it clear that I would not make any more payment until our differences are resolved. A different customer service rep reiterated that the only way to get my cash back reward is to renew my XXXX XXXX membership. But she promised to ask someone to contact me later and she also advised that I could lose my cash back rewards if I close my account. 
But No one has contacted me in the following weeks. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received their email informing me that I have missed my payment and I was asked me to contact them again, I called and I heard from the message that my account has been closed and no payment is dueetc Days later, I started to receive collections call aggressively pushing me to make payments and also threatened to keep adding late fees and financial charges.. 
In one of the conversations I had with the collection agents, I understood that they did not find any record in the system that I filed a dispute case. The customer service woman did not log in my dispute case in their computer system. I also understood from them that they actually knew that I stopped renewing my XXXX XXXX member back in XXXX, but they continued to allow me to use the card and continue to issue me cash back checks in Year XXXX and XXXX until they suddenly changed their cash back reward program in early XXXX It became clear to me the bank did this with an incentive to benefit the bank itself and its partner by forcing some cardholders to forfeit the cash back points. If a XXXX XXXX membership is a requirement for the cash rewards program, they should have informed customers like me that I am no longer eligible for the cash reward program. They could have either deactivated my credit card or made it clear on my monthly statement that I did not receive any cash back points. But my monthly statement kept showing the cash back points I earned for the past year. 

All the evidences support my belief that the bank is unethical in its business practice and has unfairly treated the consumers. The companys customer service rep is also irresponsible and poorly managed. The company also closed my account in such a short time period ( about one more also ) and enforced collection on a customer who had never been late on any payment in the past years. They did this with a reason that needs to be looked into to make sure the bank complies with the law protecting consumers rights

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