Consumer complaint received 2016-10-25
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NY
Product: Credit card
Issue: Delinquent account

Complaint:
I am filing this complaint because I feel Synchrony has been unfairly besmirched my credit through forces that were outside my control. A single payment of XXXX {$35.00} was missed ( now the only negative comment on my credit report, and the only missed payment I have ever had in my credit history ). I had previously called in to report an issue with there being multiple usernames/passwords associated with my account, as well as multiple card numbers and cards being issued seemingly every few months. I will go into further detail below. 

A new Banana Republic card was issued to me randomly ( my old card had not expired ). I assumed this was part of the industry-wide upgrade to the newer " chip technology '' card to enhance security. Over the last 12 months I have received a new BR card on at least XXXX other occasions where I did not request XXXX, which was confusing but not a terrible inconvenience in itself. When I log in to the BR credit card portal via Synchrony Bank, using XXXX username, it was only showing the balance from the previous card, which created further confusion. When I login with a different username ( XXXXXXXXXXXX ), it shows the newest card and associated balance. XXXX username was my actual username XXXX '', the other was an e-mail address that I no longer use. I had called previously about this issue because each time I logged in with my XXXX username I was forced to enter my full acct number and then change my password. Every single time. I must have changed my password 25 times. This happened every time I logged in with XXXX. When I called a while ago about the issue I was told this should not be happening but an explanation or solution was not provided, other than " do n't login on your phone '' which made no difference whatsoever when I later tried again. 

So I activated the new chip-based card I received and used it for the first time at my local BR store. The balance due was around XXXX {$40.00}. A few weeks later, when I checked my balance when logging in with the XXXX username your website showed a {$0.00} balance. What I did not realize was this was the balance of the card that had been replaced ( not the newer card ). I was not seeing the balance for the new card, I assume because the new card was n't " registered '' with the alternate username. Since I had paid for my purchase using a " rewards certificates '' the {$0.00} balance did not seem out of the ordinary to me in hindsight. I was NOT aware of the balance on the new card because your website was showing a balance of {$0.00}, so I did not make any payments. 

I very strongly feel the missed payment was not my fault since your system has been constantly changing cards on me and also because the issue with the multiple usernames/passwords for the same account prevented me seeing my REAL balance. If you look through my credit history I have NEVER missed a single payment in XXXX years of using credit. A week ago my credit score was XXXX and I was applying for a mortgage. After Synchrony reported this delinquency my score immediately dropped XXXX points and has basically derailed my pending mortgage application and put it out of reach. This is an absolute NIGHTMARE SCENARIO for my wife and I right now as our current lease is expiring and we have already set the wheels in motion to buy our first home ( plans to relocate, etc. ). All over a {$35.00} charge at Banana Republic. This is NOT acceptable XXXX bit. Ironically, I have {$24000.00} saved ( for our first home ) in another Synchrony XXXX XXXX XXXX account which I now am considering moving to a different bank over this non-sense. I sincerely hope Synchrony will make amends with me as reporting this to the credit bureaus is utterly destructive and unfair to a long-time customer.

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