Consumer complaint received 2023-02-09
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: TN
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: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I purchased a machine and Synchrony Bank financed it. I got the machine and worked with the company ( XXXX ) for 2 months, trying to get the machine to work. It never worked. I had rented a studio to start XXXX XXXX and using this machine. I had even scheduled classes to learn how to operate the machine better. I offered to literally drive the machine from TN to XXXX to get it fixed or exchanged. I was told by a supervisor that they would not allow me to do that and that all sales are final. I told him that all sales final was fine, but that I was sold a brand-new machine that did not work and there were laws to protect consumers from that fraud too. After several calls back and forth, it was agreed that I would send the equipment back. They sent a BOL for the machine and a heat press ( which was given as part of a promotional deal ). However, the contract stated that we had to keep the box for the machine, in case it had to be sent back. It didn't state that we needed to keep a pallet. After contacting the trucking company, we were told that we would have to have a pallet and straps, or they could not get the machine. We purchased a pallet and straps ( as we did not have a banding machine to hold the box to the pallet ) so that it could get sent back. We asked the company tech to help us shut down the machine properly so that we could get the machine back. They did not send the paperwork, so we had to drive back to our home to get a printer and the driver had to help with the logistics team to figure out how to get the machine sent back. We were told that the heat press was not of concern as they were not willing to reimburse us for the pallet, or the straps and we told them if they wanted the heat press they would have to pay for that pallet and straps. So, the bill of laden stated both pieces, but one was shipped the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX. 

As of XX/XX/XXXX, I had filed a dispute with Synchrony bank. I submitted all the paperwork and emails to prove that I had done all that was asked of me and that the company had sent me a machine that was defective and refused to take it back or even repair it, even if I was going to drive it to XXXX at the time. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was notified that Synchrony had favored for XXXX as XXXX had submitted a " professional letter on letterhead '' that said they were repairing the machine and would be sending it back to me at the beginning of XXXX. 

Synchrony NEVER reached out to me to confirm any of this, they never asked for more information, they just sided with XXXX on the charge and was telling me I had to pay. I called that day and spoke to a lady and explained that I had sent the machine back the beginning of XXXX and they had no intention of sending it to me. We had not agreed on a repair, we agreed on a return. She suggested that I re-dispute the case as the situation had changed in that I didn't even have the machine anymore. 

I got a message in the message center stating that the re-dispute was opened that same day at XXXXEST ( XX/XX/XXXX ). She suggested that I resubmit all the documents again and I did exactly that, along with explanations and proof of all that I stated. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Synchrony and asked what the status of my re-dispute was as it had been over 60 days and I needed to get another machine. I had actually planned to use them to get a machine from another company. 

However, I got a very young and rude girl who said I did not have a re-dispute and I told her that I had a screen shot of the message center when it was confirmed on XX/XX/XXXX. She said she didn't care what I had, but she would open another re dispute, and I asked her to not do that, I asked to speak to a supervisor. It was late and they were getting ready to leave. The supervisor was very short with me and told me I had no re-dispute and I told him, I have a copy of the letter right in front of me... and asked for his supervisor. I could not understand what was so hard about getting this taken care of. I was hung up on, 2 more times. 

I called the next day and found out that they opened another re-dispute and wiped out the one i had filed in XX/XX/XXXX. I was sick to my stomach. I was like, my timeline had to be followed and by XX/XX/XXXX it would be final. 

I called back on XX/XX/XXXX and was told by that agent that I had to wait until XX/XX/XXXX to get the final decision, that the deadline was the XXXX. The math made no sense to me, but that is what she kept saying. So, I called back today and spoke with a supervisor named XXXX. She told me that I would have to now wait until XXXX for a final answer on the dispute. 

She said they had a glitch in their system and that all disputes were lost in XXXX so there was nothing that could be done. I asked how that was fair to me to have this hanging over me still, and I had summited all that documentation and done everything they asked of me. 

She literally told me that they had very little from me, it was all gone. However, she said, to be honest, if they have a policy that they don't do refunds, we will probably favor for them anyway. I was like, WHAT? You mean they take the machine, I have no merchandise, so now I can't even go to court with them as I have nothing in hand to show it is defective... ..and you are telling me that if they have a no refund policy, you are going to hold me accountable for over {$25000.00} for a piece of equipment you know they have and I don't. She said, yes. We don't really look at the case stuff, we just look at the company 's policy. I was like, hang on, I am a merchant and I sell things and have a no refund policy. But if the client charges something back and it is defective or they sent it back, they have always favored the customer. How can you charge me for a machine that the company stated they got in XXXX, never sent it back, nor can show ANY communication with me from that time to current date, and you are going to make me pay for this equipment. What is the purpose of me disputing with you then, if you are not going to look at the facts? I don't have this machine .... does this company sell things, take them back and then you get the money for this equipment anyway and pay them? Is that not fraud? She said it so matter of fact and implied that I would waste my time submitting things because they were only going to look at the policy of the company, regardless of the machine not being even in my possession for over 4 months now and never being able to be used ONCE! 

The following files are submitted ( with the short explanation of why these documents ). I have a lot more, but I choice the ones that show the most prevalent things to this situation. I feel that Sychrony is protecting XXXX as they send a lot of business their way. It makes me frustrated and concerned that XXXX is not the only party to this bait and switch fraudulent activity. Synchrony is a large bank with many companies throwing financing at them. I am sure I am not the only that has dealt with this situation, but I may be one of the few that follows up with it to help others in the future, as well as getting this resolved for myself. 

**the XX/XX/XXXX ( pt 1 and 2 ) request to dispute with a list of all the documents I submitted to back up my case. 

XXXX cancel = stating that we requested we exchange or get this machine fixed and denied so we canceled classes for the machine. 

XXXX training stating that I had information and links and such for my machine in my portal. 

**the portal shot last month, with NOTHING in their ... .as if I had no equipment with this company at all. This just proves my point that was no intention of a repair, or my portal would have my training links and equipment information. There is nothing in there anymore, as you can see. 


XXXX documentation 1 - shows that at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX I was noting that I received a notice that my case was closed because XXXX stated that they were repairing the machine and sending it back to me. 

**Message to Synchrony = message showing that at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, I was questioning why they sided with XXXX when I had proven everything I had stated and literally NO one from Synchrony had contacted me about any questions or anything. I had literally submitted information to them the week before that, as I had just submitted the dispute the week before. There was no time to really review anything, and statements made from XXXX did not even MATCH what they were stating. 

**I called back and found someone at Synchrony that actually was nice and listened. She suggested I re-dispute since XXXX stated they were sending the machine back the beginning of XXXX and it was almost a month later and not one correspondence or anything. I told her they had no intentions of sending the machine back. 

**BOL - please note that they were requesting the machine AND THE HEAT press because they were not repairing but they were wanting their machines back. 

**re dispute screen shot - showing that Synchrony did open a re-dispute case with me at XXXX that same day on XX/XX/XXXX. 

**The bottom of the " professional letter '' from XXXX to Synchrony that stated that they had the machine in their possession They also stated that it was being " repaired '' and the " few conversations from the ticket showing the customer agreed to the repair and is aware this if fully repaired and will have it back the beginning of XXXX. '' However, please note that the conversation on my end is how to I assure this is shut down and packaged properly. On their end, our logistics team will provide the pickup information, here is the RMA and the scheduled pick update. There is NOTHING from either party that used the word repair or even indicated that it would be picked up and when repaired, we will reach out to you .... or we will repair and then call to send back. NOTHING. Again, the BOL was submitted for both the heat press and machine. We would have sent both, but they did not want to pay for packaging, pallet and straps for the heat press. It was worth the cost for that on the machine, and we wanted our money back. But the heat press was damaged and worthless and there was no fee or cost for that machine from XXXX. Even they weren't willing to pay for the extra to get it back to them. 

XXXX XXXX  response to me being so upset. I had called in on the XXXX because i had a credit alert to being over the limit on a card. I knew I was not, so I saw that it was Synchrony reporting and I called. I was in a re dispute and they were reporting me? I talked to a girl there that told that I was not in a dispute but she would file one. I asked her to not do that, as I was in one. But I found out she did and wiped out the old one. 

**response on XXXX - with regard to getting hung up on and finding out that, as many told me, there was nothing that could be done about the case, it had been resubmitted and it would go from there.

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