Consumer complaint received 2017-10-25
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Other problem

Complaint:
In XXXX, when I purchased an new oven from XXXX, I opened a XXXX credit card, which was issued by XXXX XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, the bank informed me that they were closing my account because " a number of dishonored payments ''. However, this was not true and the only payment that had been " dishonored '' was an online payment that was not accepted because of a problem with the bank 's website. After I contacted the bank and told them I believed the real reason they had closed my account was age discrimination ( I am currently XXXX years old ), the bank re-opened my account. 

In the winter of XXXX I was having numerous billing problems with my Lowes credit card account. For example, the Lowes bills I received did not include an itemized list of charges, but simply listed the categories of items purchased, e.g. the bill would say " HOUSEPLANT SOILS AND ACCESSORIES ; GENERAL PURPOSE ; COMMODITY SOILS AND SOIL AMENDMENTS '' with a total dollar amount of {$33.00}, instead of listing the particular items, such as XXXX XXXX Potting Soil, 4 lb bag, with the price of each item. 

I was also recieving email messages from the bank saying that my payment had not been received and my account was past due. However, the due date listed on the emails were not the due date on my bills, and the emails were sent 7 to 14 days before my payment was due. The bank also had charged me several late fees totaling over {$100.00}. The bank was also charging me an interest rate of 24.99 %! And on XX/XX/XXXX the bank sent me a letter saying they had closed my account again. 

In earlyXX/XX/XXXXI filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau about the bank. OnXX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Senior Specialist, Corporate Consumer Relations at XXXX XXXX sent a letter in reply to my complaint and agreed to reverse the late fees totalling over {$100.00} that had been charged to my account, and denied that my " age was not a factor considered in this matter ''. There was no mention of the fact that my account had been closed, but I discovered that my account had not been closed despite the erroneous information contained in the banks letter of XX/XX/XXXX. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, when I went to Lowes to make a purchase, the cashier told me that the charge on my Lowes credit card was not approved. When I checked my account online, it appeared my account had been closed again, despite the fact that I had made every payment in a timely manner and my account balance did not exceed my credit limit. The following week, the bank sent me a letter saying they had closed my account, once again, with a list of bogus reasons for doing so. 

I believe XXXX XXXX has discriminated against me because of my age. And they have engaged in business practices that are fraudulent, or at the very least, willfully negligent. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX

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