Consumer complaint received 2022-01-13
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: MN
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: Store credit card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Card opened as result of identity theft or fraud

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX : I went to Sam 's Club cashier lane as the self checkout register doesn not accept cash. The cashier employee asked if I wanted to apply for a Sams Club credit card to which I kindly declined and said, No thank you. Questions came up on the key pad and she asked me to answer them. Again, I reiterated and stated, No, that I do not want to apply for a Sams Club credit card as I further explained that I'm certain this will get my credit score pulled. She stated she could not cancel the process, reassured me if I was to enter fake information and a random small annual income it would not go through. I proceeded to follow her instructions and entered a fake Social Security Number and a small annual income. I proceeded to ask the cashier employee if it was canceled. She said it was canceled but attempted to provide me a Sams Club credit card pamplet, and asked me to sign a form of receipt to which I replied, No, as I did not want a credit card. I refused to sign the form and asked again if it was canceled. She reassures me again and confirms it was canceled and did not go through. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I checked my mail and received a letter stating : Thank you for your application for a credit card with Sams Club. We are unable to complete the processing of your application. It goes into further details and on the third page it says, some information used to make this decision was obtained from the consumer reporting agency ( agencies ) listed below. XXXX and XXXX. 

About XXXX, I created a XXXX and XXXX free membership account to view my credit report. Upon inspection my information stated there was an unspecified hard inquiry pull from SYNCB/SAMSCLUB inquired on XX/XX/XXXX which will be on record until XX/XX/XXXX. 

Upon this new information, I immediately contacted Sams Club Customer Service around XXXX as the store closes at XXXX. The Customer Service employee informed me the cashiers can request for a credit card by pressing one button, apply, and the application will be pushed through even without my signature in the end. She provided Synchrony Bank 's phone number of, XXXX, so I can contact them in regards to the dispute and fraudulent activity. I left message with her and was informed that a Sams Club manager would shortly return my phone call but I did not receive a returned call. 

Right after that phone call, I contacted Synchrony Bank, explained the situation and stated that this is a fraudulent action. They stated they will mail out a deletion letter to both Credit Bureaus, XXXX and XXXX. However, it can take up to 60 days for the inquiry to be removed. 

Right after that phone call, I filed a dispute and fraudulent activity with, XXXX. I received an email confirmation at XXXX statong a dispute is open. A few hours later at XXXX I received an email from XXXX stating my dispute results are in and the inquiry has been deleted. 

XX/XX/XXXX : I went to Sam 's Club and explained the situation above. One of the supervisors had a Customer Service employee contact Synchrony Bank to remove the application in their system as the application is still showing, pending. We all then learned that I was considered " pre-qualified '' for a credit card. Even though I replied, No, I do not want a Sams Club credit card and because the cashier employee pressed the button, apply, it automatically gets pushed through. It didn't matter that it was a fake Social Security Number and small annual income. Becuase I was pre-qualified once the cashier employee pressed the button, apply, there was no undoing and stopping the process as it was already initiated. They were uncertain and didnt know if it was possible to abort and cancel the application. They will need to try it out themselves to see if it will work or not. The supervisor informed me the cashier employee asked me to sign the form of receipt because it would have stated that the application went through ; it was not a cancelation receiptof the application. I explained that I did not sign the receipt, declined by saying, No, each time and the cashier employee kept reassuring me it would not go through. Fuethermore, explaining the mail that I received could easily be disregarded as junk mail, thankfully I looked at it. While being transferred to about three different departments, Synchrony Bank stated the only option is to contact them, have them send a deletion letter to the Credit Bureaus so they can to delete the inquiry from my credit report. To which I replied that has been completed for one Credit Bureau and I will have to submit the other one day. The supervisor informed me that they will keep me updated, conduct an investigation by reviewing camera footage, have a discussion with their employee and may deliver a disciplinary action. 

Around XXXX today, I reached out to XXXX and they informed me they have not yet received a deletion letter from Synchrony Bank/Sams Club . They have reached out to them stating fraudulent activity and there isn't anything else we can do but wait for a response. They provided me further information about Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and advised me to contact my State Attorney General 's office since this is the first time I've dealt with a situation like this.

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