Consumer complaint received 2018-01-23
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: WA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
I obtained a secondary Lowes/XXXX XXXX Consumer Credit Card for a licensed contractor ( with his name on it ) who was working on a rental of mine from mid-XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. The card was issued connected to my XXXX credit card account. On XX/XX/XXXX, I fired the contractor, who left the work sight immediately with the Lowes credit card with his name on it. He left so quickly that I did n't get the card from him. I immediately called the local Lowes store and requested that his name be removed from my Lowes account. I was told to contact XXXX XXXX directly to handle this and I placed a call to them that same day - XX/XX/XXXX. I explained the situation to the bank, asked to have his name removed from my account as an authorized user, and verify that he would not be able to use that card again. XXXX XXXX removed him from my account that day and assured me that he would not be able to use that credit card again. I made it very clear that I needed to be assured that he could no longer use that card since I had no way of retrieving the card from him. I was assured by the representative that his card would not be able to be used again. I had my office manager, XXXX, call XXXX XXXX either the next day after or 2 days later just to double check the status of that card, and she, too, was told that his name was no longer on the account and that he would not be able to use that card. I was not counseled by XXXX XXXX to close that account at that time, nor was my office manager who called shortly after me. When I noticed exorbitant charges on my Lowes credit card statement on XX/XX/XXXX from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, I immediately called XXXX XXXX and reported the unauthorized charges - amounting to {$14000.00} and closed the account. A Fraud investigation was initiated. When the first Fraud investigation report from XXXX XXXX arrived, it said that they were not able to accept my claim because I " released account information to a third party. '' When I called XXXX XXXX about the refusal to cover the fraudulent charges, they said that I should have closed the account or obtained the card with the contractor 's name on it. This is something I was not told when I talked to them on XX/XX/XXXX, nor my office manager on XX/XX/XXXX. After receiving the denial of my claim, I asked Synchrony for written verification of the calls I made to XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to remove the contractor as an authorized user on my account ( along with the representative 's assurance that the contractor would not be able to use that card ), and verification on XX/XX/XXXX that my office manager called them to verify the same information. In response to that request, I was sent a letter removing the contractor as an authorized user on my replacement account as of XX/XX/XXXX!!! In this letter, it advises me to retrieve the credit card in his possession, and if not possible, to close the account and establish a new one. I do n't know if this was a mistake or an effort to cover their grievous mistake. I had the XXXX XXXX reopen their investigation on XX/XX/XXXX including details that had been omitted by the police officer who took my report ( an over {$5000.00} communication error between the police officer and the Lowe 's Loss Prevention Manager resulting in a severe reduction of reported Fraud charges )! I am hoping that Lowes XXXX XXXX will own their errors and close out the balance on my account. I am seeking Legal action. The County 's Prosecutor is currently making a case against the contractor who made the fraudulent charges ( verified by the local Lowes store video cameras ) and hopefully he will be arrested.

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