Consumer complaint received 2018-12-20
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NV
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem when making payments
Sub-issue: Problem during payment process

Complaint:
SYNCHRONY BANK is synonymous with INSANE. PLEASE CFPB do something about this ATROCIOUS entity. I am positive I am not the only one with issues with them! 

I am STILL ( yes, complained many times before ) not having payments applied inline with policies or what any RED BLOODED AMERICAN would expect!!! 

I have multiple promotional balances. I have been told time and again, plus per their site policies, payments are applied to the MOST RECENT EXPIRING PROMOTION. And furthermore in conversation with Synchrony on many occasions, the LARGEST balance. I was literally told, " we want to apply payments that best serve you and save you interest whenever possible '' I have TWO balances expiring XX/XX/XXXX. My minimum payment was {$25.00}. Paid {$100.00}. 

I had a current charge for a book at {$11.00}, that should result in {$88.00} being applied to my BIGGEST balance expiring XX/XX/XXXX. 

Instead, {$83.00} was applied to the largest balance expiring XX/XX/XXXX, and {$2.00} applied to the next in line expiring XX/XX/XXXX - which, no I can't really complain as they both expire XX/XX/XXXX. 

BUT!!!! Where I ABSOLUTELY have an issue is with your APPLYING {$0.00} cents to a promotion expiring XX/XX/XXXX, AND {$0.00} cents to a promotion expiring XX/XX/XXXX, AND {$1.00} to a promotion expiring XX/XX/XXXX AND {$0.00} cents to a promotion expiring XX/XX/XXXX, AND {$1.00} to a promotion expiring XX/XX/XXXX Just what purpose does applying payment to balance NOT due until XX/XX/XXXX do to benefit my balance ( s ) expiring XX/XX/XXXX??? It ONLY does one thing. Places Synchrony in a MUCH GREATER POTENTIAL whereby a member does NOT pay off their promotional balance in full which then causes ALL INTEREST in suspense to become due and payable. What a payday for you all. To date on the two XX/XX/XXXX balances, there is over {$160.00} in accured DEFERRED interest. 

This is a RECURRING scenario with Synchrony. It is not acceptable and should not be tolerated. I know this is a SYNCHRONY INTERNAL ERROR they REFUSE to address. I have this SAME issue with my XXXX 's card that is regretably also issued by Synchrony and it too has promotional balances NOT applied properly. 

At the end of the day, YES, I do and will pay my balances in full. However, by Synchrony CHOOSING to apply the payments in any XXXX fashion they so choose, and moreover apply to time period due further into the future, it literally ROBS from the consumer the ability to truly DEFER payments over 6 months. ( or whatever the term ) And NO calling in to make a payment, is simply not a solution to this problem. This is a problem THAT CAN BE FIXED in programing and payment application. In fact, when I called in two months ago in a point of complete exasperation, I had a Synchrony agent ask, " Why do you want to pay that balance now? '' - REALLY?? What they XXXX business is it of an agent why I am paying a balance? 

Lastly, and this may be an issue with XXXX, which I have contacted them directly, but when someone buys multiple items in ONE TRANSACTION and then defers the balance, it results in literally as many individual promotional balances as items in the total transaction! So this time last year, I bought about a dozen and half gift cards for XXXX gifts, and I literally was hit with over 24 individual promotional balances!! I'd make a payment of {$100.00} and that was spread UNEVENLY over 24 balances!!! STUPID.

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