Consumer complaint received 2023-11-29
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: TN
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Sued you in a state where you do not live or did not sign for the debt

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX my sister informed me that the XXXX XXXX sheriffs officer showed up at her house that evening to serve me with a suit for a debt. She informed the officer that I have not lived in Georgia for almost 3 years and that I currently reside in Tennessee. She then asked what is in regards too and he informed her that I owe someone money. 
XX/XX/XXXX I called the XXXX XXXX magistrate office. I spoke with the clerk that my sister relayed the message where I previously lived and rented. The officer was trying to serve me and I was calling to find out what it is in regards too. She stated that it was a suit by XXXX XXXXSynchrony bank . She advised there was no Attorney listed, gave me a phone number and case number. I stated I no longer live in Georgia, I live in XXXX, Tn. I asked how I can settle the debt. She told me to call the number or XXXXXXXX XXXX 

( Same day ) - i followed up with XXXXXXXX XXXX and called number the clerk gave me. I spoke with a female, i dont remember her name. After i was verified i advised i had been notified that they were trying to file suit on this debt in a state i dont live in, anymore and had not for almost 3 years now and that Ive been a TN resident since leaving Ga. Told her i would like to set up arrangements to pay this and that i can do {$50.00} a month to start in XXXX. She then was looking in the file notes and advised she did see where suit was being filed but there was not an attorney name listed for the case at that time, but said not to worry that i wouldnt be hit with garnishment right away just bc a suit had been filed. I told her something along the lines of okay thats a relief but i would like to stop this from going forward and do a promise to pay and settle this debt and the monthly payments i can do is {$50.00} a month Im a single mother, with only 1 income who does not receive child support or any govt assistance. She then advised me that i should try to get this disputed cause of some inaccuracies she was seeing and said and lets try to get your credit fixed. She then started talking about some kind of credit repair program that i qualified for that would be {$370.00} upfront and then {$99.00} a month afterwards ( again completely ignoring me calling in wanting to settle this debt with a promise to pay because i dont want to miss being served at some random address they are going to and then have a garnishment brought against me cause i missed the court date- i never asked for credit repair or my credit to be fixed i didnt need those services i just wanted to pay and not stress out ). I told her i cant afford that offer and can only pay {$50.00} a month. She said that i could possibly qualify for a free credit repair sweep if i had a minimum of {$5000.00} in my works retirement account, so going along with what she was saying i logged into my retirement account and advised okay i do have that minimum in my XXXX retirement. She advised okay great i will have to forward this to another representative who was out to lunch but they would reaching out and calling me back. Said it would be a same day call back So far i have not gotten a call back and its XXXX XXXX EST on the day of XX/XX/XXXX almost 24 hours later im still left in limbo with no arrangements being taken from me to pay {$50.00} a month. Im scared, stressed and worried that Im going to be garnished this is not right nor fair. 

XXXX-no call back to me has been received from XXXX. Everything is still in limbo. I decided to reach out to the 2nd number the Magistrate Clerk gave me that she advised was for the attorneys office that was listed but no attorney name listed for my case. The attorney office name is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). I called in and a receptionist answered did not catch his name either, i said Im trying to settle a debt and i need to know who i need to speak with in regards to this office attempting to file suit. He said Im gon na have to transfer you to our collections dept. I was transferred over and was on hold for 40 mins before someone answered ( this resulted in me having to clock out of work that was not a lunch break, to handle this since it went past my 15 min break that i get in the mornings ). A female answered she asked for my file number, and i interrupted that as she needed my case # that was was from the magistrate filing ( # XXXX ). She said oh that did not pull up asked for my social and i still did not pull up and then advised, youll have to get in touch with another representative and gave me there ext - XXXX, did not give me a name of who i was calling but advised that they are short staffed and Ill have to call back in and dial the ext # to talk to the rep. She was unable to transfer me so i had to hang up call back to that number and then dial the ext and i did three times and all 3 times the ext said this is an invalid entry. So now at this point 3 days later i have gotten no where with either place. XXXX XXXX has not called me back andignored my request over the phone of trying to set up a monthly payment to not do a suitinstead trying to solicit services that i dont need at this timenor did i inquire on. And the attorneys office cant seem to find my file or find me in the system from the brief 4 minutes of speaking to a live person after being on hold 40 mins and then giving me a invalid extension. Wasted almost an hour of unpaid time i have lost at work just today trying to get something resolved with a {$50.00} a month payment and absolutely nothing has been done. Could it be because both places realize they have messed up big time going and filing a suit in a state that i have not lived in for almost 3 years? Might i add that it reflects on my credit report of the addresses listed and shows my current address in TN reporting as of XX/XX/XXXX and the GA address last reported in early XXXX. I also have active student loans Ive taken out going back to school that would report my TN address on my credit as well every time i do the federal forms. This mess up has had me stressed out completely and was not needed, and no answers from either place of whats going on and who do i talk. Quick to go and file a suit at the court house and have a sheriff serve me but cant resolve this when i call in and get the run around.

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