Consumer complaint received 2021-06-04
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
CFPB : Please note that I am not including personal information per your instructions above I have had a Banana Republic credit card for over 10 years, if I remember correctly. Credit card number XXXX, good through XX/XX/XXXX. I have always been on time with my payments although my credit utilization is high. In fact, my credit report shows that I have an exceptional credit history with them. Please see attachment. 

My monthly payment is due on the XXXX of each month. On XX/XX/XXXX I tried to log into my Banana Credit card online account to post my minimum payment of {$87.00}. I tried several times. However, they have been making changes to their system and the system did not let me log in. I called on XX/XX/XXXX posted my payment over the phone asked them to waive the late fee. The represented assured me that they were going to wave the late fee. 


The representative I spoke with assured me that they would have not charged me a late fee. I relied on that representation. According to their automated service the phone call should have been recorded. It has happened in the past that their system did not let me log in. Whenever that happened and my payment was late on account of their technical difficulties, i called them, they never assessed and/or removed the late fee. 

However, I just found out that for the payment that I submitted on XX/XX/XXXX, Banana : 1 ) charged me a late fee 2 ) they charged a late fee of {$40.00} and 3 ) THEY REPORTED MY CARD UTILIZATION AS OVER THE LIMIT TO THE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCY causing my credit score to decrease 60 POINTS!!!!!! Please see attachments. 

THIS IS A FRAUD OF THE WORST TYPE. They assessed a late fee for a delay in the payment caused by their faulty online system. In addition, they lied to me and their lie caused me not to post an additional payment to make sure the card utilization would have stayed within the limit. 

This has happened at a time of my life when I am dealing with XXXX injuries due to a car accident that have caused me to live in excruciating pain for over 15 months and have caused me to be unemployed for the past 9 months. I have been living of family support, even though my family is not wealthy at all. Notwithstanding my medical problems and financial hardships, I have not missed a single payment on any of my credit cards. 

I called Banana minutes ago. I first spoke with a rep XXXX XXXX who said she removed the late fee. I then asked her to correct the information they sent to the credit reporting agency. She said that she could not do that and that I would have had to contact the credit reporting agency. 
I asked to speak with a supervisor. She transferred me to a man who said his name was XXXX '. I explained to him what had happened and asked him to correct the information on my credit report. HE SAID THEY CAN NOT CORRECT ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO REPORT CORRECT INFORMATION TO THE CREDIT AGENCIES. 
If I, as consumer, can not post a payment on time, because the credit card company - Synchrony bank in this case - is updating its system, I should not be penalized with a late fee. 
Next, I am entitled to rely on the information that the credit card rep provides to me. That is the minimum protection afforded to me by the law. Again, if I had been told that they would have assessed a late fee, I would have posted a second payment to remain within the credit card utilization limit. 
The over the limit utilization report to the credit agencies is the result of FALSE REPRESENTATION by Synchrony Bank rep to me. And it is UNFAIR BUSINESS PRACTICE to say the least. THEY SET ME UP FOR THIS. My credit utilization jumped over the limit for a crazy high {$40.00} fee which their rep assured me it would have not been assessed against my account. They caused my credit score to drop 60 points!!!!!!!

I need you to please intervene and order Synchrony to correct the report. 

Thank you for your time.

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 monetary relief