Consumer complaint received 2023-07-18
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NV
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Problem with the payoff process at the end of the loan

Complaint:
I need to give you my deceased brother 's name as the account is in his name, XXXX XXXX XXXX. My brother died in XXXX of XXXX. He had a motorcycle that he had financed in XX/XX/XXXX. He still had a balance of XXXX XXXX. We began paying the loan. I called Synchrony Bank to report the death of my brother, and I sent a death certificate. I didn't hear from them, and I didn't want them to come after my mother-in-law, so I started paying the loan. In XXXX of XXXX, I called Synchrony Bank and requested a payoff amount. I paid off the loan over the phone with the agent. The agent informed me that my title will be released in 10 days. Since XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX, I have been unsuccessfully trying to obtain the title. I waited for the title, and when it did not arrive, I called Synchrony Bank again ( 2nd call ). I was told at that time I had a XXXXXXXX XXXX balance that needed to be paid to release the title. I asked them how I could have a balance when I paid it off over the phone with their agent. It made no sense. I just paid it because it wasn't worth the aggravation. So again, I was told the title would be released in 10 days ; it is now XXXX. Again, I did not receive the title. I called Synchrony Bank again ( 3rd call ) and spoke to someone in the probate department. I was then told AGAIN that I had a XXXX balance. I explained that I paid XXXX, over the phone, with an agent. The agent said there was no record of it. I was then transferred to another department to try and resolve the payment issue. This agent told me that there was no balance on my account, but it looked like it went to the repo department. It is now the end of XXXX, and I received a bill. The bill does not say anything about the XXXX , but it does have a late fee of XXXX . So, I called Synchrony Bank AGAIN ( 4th time ) and was told the late fee would be waived. At this point, I am getting stressed out. I paid EVERY PAYMENT and a ridiculous amount of interest and ALWAYS ON TIME, and they won't provide me with the title over a XXXX XXXX late fee, which I now know they shouldn't have been collecting any money from me since it was my brother 's loan, and he was dead. So, this whole time, 5 years, I have been paying off his loan, not knowing that I didn't have to. I called Synchrony Bank again ( XXXX time ) and reached the probate department. The probate department told me I wasn't financially responsible for the loan, which would have been nice to know 5 years ago. Again, I was told that the XXXX $ would be waived and that the case was sent over to the title department and my title would be released. I still have not received the title. I came home yesterday and had another bill from Synchrony Bank for XXXX. I called Synchrony Bank again ( 6th time ). I made it through the matrix and was sent to a probate specialist. The agent got on the phone and told me there was a XXXX charge on the account and that is why the title hasn't been released. I asked how can I get a statement from you for XXXX and mention NOTHING of the XXXX charges. This agent, XXXX # XXXX listened to me and proceeded to take some action, which I greatly appreciated. He talked to the title department and relayed to me that I needed to email them a copy of the death certificate ( which I had already done, but there was no record ), the VIN # of the motorcycle, a copy of my court document showing me as the administrator and where I want the title sent. This was XX/XX/XXXX. I was told to follow up today to ensure it was processed. I called today, XX/XX/XXXX and it wasn't processed, they didn't even have the information I sent yesterday in the system. The agent XXXX looked in the email, found my information, and entered it into the system. He said my title is ready to be released, but he wanted to check on something. I was put on hold, more than once, for a significant amount of time. I can only assume there was another issue at their end. When he got back on the phone, he told me the title has been released and sent to XXXX and will arrive in 24-48 hours, but I have been told this before. The stress of trying to get this title has been a lot on me. Every time I called I was transferred and transferred and transferred, most of the time not getting to the correct person. As of today, it has been 10 weeks since I first paid off this motorcycle.

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