Consumer complaint received 2018-08-07
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CT
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
I received a notification on XX/XX/18 from XXXX XXXX, of which I am a member, advising that my Account through XXXX XXXXWalmart Credit Card had been reduced by {$4500.00} and because of this my credit score was adversely affected. 

I immediately called Synchrony to inquire. I was advised by a Representative that my account was in arrears. I advised I had made two payments in XX/XX/2018, the 2nd payment was to go toward the XX/XX/XXXX statement. The Rep. advised that my payment of {$50.00} was {$3.00} short of the Minimum payment. I apologized and said I would make the payment, I was told that I now was responsible for a payment of {$130.00} which included late fees and insurance. This is the first time I had a late payment and was upset about the late fees which seemed ridiculous. I asked to speak with a supervisor and the young woman I was speaking to forwarded my call to the Collections Department unbeknownst to me. The man I spoke with just kept repeating over and over that he was attempting to collect a debt and that I needed to make payment immediately. 
I made the payment while he was talking and advised him of same. I told him, thinking he was a Supervisor, I wanted to discuss the reduction in my credit limit and the report to the bureau advising I was at 97 % of my credit limit. He just kept repeating that a letter had gone out to me and he was not at liberty to discuss anything about that. I asked to speak to his Supervisor and was advised no one was available to speak to me. I was told again I would be getting a letter in approximately 10 days. 

Due to this unfortunate turn of events, my credit has suffered greatly, I attempted to apply for another card on XX/XX/18 and am currently waiting for XXXX  XXXX to respond, my plan is to pay off XXXX XXXX and close my Walmart Account. My credit score went from being good in the mid to high 720 's and it is now at XXXX, which is considered fair. I feel that Synchrony is using the fact that I have recently retired to reduce my line, even though my spouse and I are still making in the 50K range. I was not called, written to or given any chance to discuss anything. 

Previously, in XXXX of 2018, I attempted to make a {$42.00} purchase from Walmart, the request for purchase would not go through and I called the number on my card to inquire. I was told at that time, that I needed to update my address on my account. I advised I had done that months ago when I moved. When I went onto the website to look at the address, a question popped up in the middle of my screen asking what my yearly income was. I responded to the question and was still unable to use the card. I purchased the item using my Paypal account. I contacted synchrony again and was told by the Rep. that the reason the purchase did not go through was that I tried to submit it more than once. There was no mention at that time of a reduction in the credit limit.

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 explanation