Consumer complaint received 2022-06-03
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: SD
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
Hello CFPB, My dispute is with Synchrony Bank and its on-line services. Synchrony Bank is set up to automatically make charges on your credit accounts regardless of pending claims. Synchrony Bank therefore is conducting itself in a fraudulent manner to extort more money through late fees on claims that are pending resolution AND charging minimum interest fees on closed accounts. This subsequently impacts your credit report, creates undue stress, financial robbery, extortion and is creating a hostile environment. 

The initial credit card that I filed a fraud dispute with was a Sam 's Club Master Card ( SCMC ) owned by Synchrony Bank. 

I froze the SCMC account in XX/XX/2022 because I incurred a host of fraudulent XXXX charges to my SCMC account. When I realized they were continuing to allow fraudulent charges through. I called to discuss this and they informed me that auto subscriptions continue to be charged even when the account is frozen? So much for freezing the account?! I HAD to pay the balance in order to close the account. Which I was fortunate to have the money at the time to do. 

I submitted the fraud claim in XX/XX/2022 with SCMC, they automatically closed the account and issued a new account number. When they did this they subsequently transferred all transactions onto the other account number in XXXX while they dealt with the charges. All the charges were from XXXX. 

I did not make these charges nor were they reflective on my XXXX account as an auto subscription charge. There was no history or reference on my XXXX account. I was also unable to access a person for XXXX to file a complaint about the charges. It is a complete automated system referring you back to your on-line account and XXXX number that they give you in the first place. Runs you in circles. That is another issue to file about. 

On XX/XX/2022, all charges from XXXX were transferred to my new SCMC. On XX/XX/2022 most charges were credited off my new SCMC and I was issued a refund check. However, on XX/XX/2022, SCMC re-transferred three of the same XXXX transactions back onto my account. So, I was left with an outstanding balance. When I called to discuss it the customer service representative said that if I had filled a fraud claim then I would have not been responsible for those charges, only the others? So I waited to see if they would be dealt with. They were not. 

A month later I checked the SCMC account to make sure all transactions were cleared and the account closed. What I found was, the three XXXX charges were not credited back off. Those charges were fraud and should not have been re-billed. By this time I was charged a late fee because of them. Now I had a larger balance. 

On XX/XX/2022 I filed another fraud claim on the balance. SCMC automatically issued another credit card and transferred the balance again to another number. I decided to pay the balance through a bill pay from my bank so I wouldn't get anymore charges. Nope. Thinking that my check was just not posted yet, I waited. In the meantime, I find out that I have incurred yet another late fee, now of {$40.00}. So, I paid the {$40.00} on-line. 

I come to find out that my bank sent a payment but it was applied to another Synchrony account that I had? The check clearly stated Sams Club on it. I filed another claim, now a payment dispute claim on XX/XX/2022. 

I got back into town on XX/XX/2022 and got on-line to check the account to see if any responses or changes were made to the account. None. So I called the fraud department with SCMC. After being put on hold a couple of times to check the account, the rep talked to the supervisor and they said because the fraud charges were re-billed to the account that it was a billing issue not a fraud issue and that I would have to call them instead. What?! -They have access to all my transactions and all my on-line complaints right in front of them on the screen. So, I told them that was bs and that I was filing a formal complaint with Synchrony Bank. Which I could not find a place to file with a Human Resources division of Synchrony on-line. So, here I am writing my complaint to CFPB. 

I have paid again for this account to be XXXX. I paid the amount of {$82.00} on XX/XX/2022 at XXXXXXXX XXXX MST.

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