Consumer complaint received 2020-06-04
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: VA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem

Complaint:
I purchased a product ( Vacation package with 3 airlines and 3 hotels ) that was never paid for by XXXX ( Hotel part was only reserved ) and, what was paid for ( airlines ),  was all refunded or being refunded to XXXX XXXX XXXX canceled the vacation package. Customer did NOT cancel the product. I was told by XXXX  they were canceling it because they obviously had to ; the product was no longer available. Per XXXX, all hotels were cancelled and refunded in full ( XXXX hotels confirms hotels were never even paid because they don't bill until you check in ). The car transfer cancelled and refunded in full also. All airlines cancelled and refunded except XXXX which has cancelled but is taking some time to issue the refund. XXXX XXXX  assured me they are issuing a refund to XXXX  in full but unsure of when it will occur. XXXX  cancelled this vacation package and did not return my money nor any portion of it. According to their own statements, the money was all refunded except the XXXX XXXX portion which has been approved for a full refund but will take some time still. Total owed to Customer is {$3200.00} Yet, XXXX  is refusing to issue the refund for a product they did not provide. I can understand if they need to wait to refund the XXXX XXXX portion since that is taking time to do so but they never paid the hotel portion and the other airlines have been refunded ( per XXXX rep, XXXX XXXX. ) Timeline of calls ( There were also multiple emails, calls and XXXX   messenger messages ) XX/XX/XXXX XXXX  rep says, " Right now it is looking like a refund of XXXX of the original {$3200.00}, so {$1700.00} lost but we are working on contacting airlines to get more money back '' ( Each time you speak with XXXX   they seem to come up with something different than what they said before. For example. I received the call above with the information that they just needed to talk to XXXX and then would get back to me because all airlines had refunded except XXXX Instead, I received a call asking me to accept a partial credit for future travel. ) XX/XX/XXXX XXXX  called to ask me to cancel my vacation. I asked, " But it has already been cancelled? How do I cancel a cancelled vacation that doesn't exist? '' XXXX  agent said we need you to acknowledge that we are canceling the trip and I agreed that I understood this. XXXX was experiencing a huge backlash on XXXX from angry customers experiencing the same run around. They had to close their XXXX account this day to comments. The consensus was that XXXX was trying to get customers to self cancel their trips so that a credit card dispute would not be possible. Therefore, not surprising to see the mountains of XXXX  complaints against them as well. XX/XX/XXXX Call to XXXX. I told rep that I did not want to cancel if that meant losing money. I asked about postponing the trip to this time next year and they said they would get back with me about specifics but never did. XX/XX/XXXX call to XXXX XXXX XXXX She stated, " I just need your approval of cancellation, that we want your understanding that we are canceling. '' I told XXXX I did understand this, that they were canceling. XXXX Call with XXXX XXXX. She stated, " We had to cancel for you to protect your interests, your financial interests. You will get back full, yes. The hotels are approximately {$1000.00} and the air portion {$2200.00}, just have to wait for the airlines to get back with us. '' ( XXXX said she will call me Friday XXXXth to update ) I then asked since XXXXth is a deadline as XXXX had specified so did I need to do anything. She replied, " No, just wait, will take up to 120 days to get you your refund. '' She stated that " XXXX airlines already accepted the email from XXXX to issue a full refund, so did XXXX, XXXX airline cancelled also, as did the XXXX   airline. We are waiting on XXXX to get back with us ( I called XXXX   myself and they said they were issuing a full refund to XXXX ). Regarding hotels, all the XXXX hotels cancelled in full. '' I asked, then when will we know something more and she said, " I will get back to you, I just have to hear from the airline. '' But then I never heard back and received an email that was referring to me taking a partial refund but it wasn't specific. She specified that all hotels were refunded in full, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. Also that all airlines refunded or had cancelled except for XXXX who they were waiting on to respond to the email that XXXX sent to them. Here it is important to acknowledge what so many other complaints have stated, that XXXX has abysmal customer service. They change their story constantly and are terrible at communication. They don't answer calls and then say they are going to get back to you and follow through but they never do. HOTELS XXXX Emailed all hotels to ask if rooms were cancelled and refunded to XXXX, as XXXX told me, all hotels were cancelled and refunded. closed due to pandemic Emailed and called the three hotels. XXXX XXXX - Cancelled and no refund because it was never paid by XXXX  XXXX   XXXX - Refunded XXXX XXXX - Hotel closed, Refunded Documentation attached including emails and closure notices from the hotels AIR XXXX XXXX   already told me they requested and received refunds from all airlines except XXXX. I called XXXX on XXXX at XXXX airlines and she said, " XXXX  requested the refund and it will take a while it is in their refunds department but the form of payment will be refunded in full. '' Waiting for authorization from the airline. XXXX refuses to acknowledge this. XXXX  said to me on XXXX that all other airlines had already cancelled in full and refunded. 

I have attempted to dispute this charge on my PayPal credit card which is through Synchrony Bank. Paypal dismissed the dispute stating no reason. Synchrony bank told me on XX/XX/XXXX that the dispute was dropped because " of consumer ''? Which made no sense to me. Per the United States DOT policy, even online ticket agents will refund airfare that is not able to be used. The flights were cancelled, the XXXX XXXX was closed and no flights were allowed from the US. It doesn't get much more clear than this. XXXX is refusing to refund the money on a product THEY cancelled. Not the consumer. Despite their many efforts to get me to say I was cancelling. If you look on their XXXX account, before they had to close it due to so many angry customers, you would see their attempts at fear mongering. Telling customers if the attempt a credit card reversal they will fight and win!

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