Consumer complaint received 2019-03-21
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: AL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
XXXX XX/XX/2019 I received a letter from a debt collection outfit that does business under the name XXXX. It is an attempt to collect the sum of {$320.00} on the behalf of the sub prime high risk financial service provider Syncrony Bank/Wal Mart Credit Card. I was solicited and encouraged numerous times to accept a credit card from this organization. Having already known of their dubious track record for predatory lending, their constant barrage of unsolicited offers and promotional gimmicks were always simply deleted or ignored. To be clear : I NEVER agreed, responded, signed, committed to verbally or otherwise, received, activated, utilized, or have ever even seen in any other form or fashion a {$200.00} limit Wal Mart store credit card from Syncrony, XXXX, or any other financial institution. Accepting or even considering utilizing a credit card/store card line of credit limited to {$200.00} coupled with such astronomically high interest rates and worse still, limited to use at only one place of business makes absolutely no sense for me personally. I am a homeowner with a mortgage and several revolving type credit cards from actual reputable financial institutions with much higher credit limits and take my financial obligations very seriously. Therefore I strive to remain diligent about maintaining my financial well being. To my shock and horror I was only recently made aware that not only did Syncrony bank send me a Wal Mart credit card anyways, they then falsely tried to extort me into paying them for issuing a card that I absolutely DID NOT AGREE TOO, SIGN, TRY TO USE OR ACTIVATE. I WAS NOT ISSUED NOR DID I CREATE A PIN NUMBER. Approximately 14 months have passed since their solicitations and any and alll communication between either party or I have ceased. Then last month I purchased a new vehicle. Having made every single payment of every form ( with the exception of 1 house payment that was 14 days late 6 years and 3 months ago ) was always a sense of pride for me. Then I got a shock I wont soon forget when my banks auto loan pre approval letter had my interest rate nearly a full percentage point higher than expected. When I called for an explanation I was told that my XXXX report had a charge off listed under Syncrony Bank, I checked XXXX, they had reported 13 months of serious delinquency for what I still have no idea. Ive called, emailed, written, faxed, and sent a certified letter demanding an explanation and have received absolutely no response. The one time I was able to get someone on the phone after an hour and a half on hold, they couldnt assist me without an account number. Since your account number is apparently the number on the physical card which I did not nor hve ever possessed, I have no idea what that number is or why I would even have one associated with me. This ordeal has run its corse and I am beyond sick and tired of trying to get this resolved. This supposedly {$200.00} credit card, which they are now trying to extort {$320.00} for has cost me far more ; in increased interest on my {$40000.00} auto loan and in wasted time and effort. Syncrony Banks business model of handing out credit cards to anything with with hands and a heartbeat, and tricking them into trap loans and never ending fees must be working on someone, but Ill give my last dime to my attorneys before I give one red cent to Synchrony Bank or XXXX. They have advised me to, after filing this complaint with the CFPB ; cease attempting to contact and forward all future correspondence from Synchrony Bank and/or anyone acting on their behalf to their offices.

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 non-monetary relief