Consumer complaint received 2021-08-23
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Application denied

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I responded to an invitation in my XXXX app to apply for a XXXX credit card. I filled out the application for the XXXX credit card directly in the XXXX app, and the application was further processed by Synchrony Bank. After a few short moments I got the feedback within the app that more information was needed to confirm my identity. 

Parallel to this I got a notification from XXXX and XXXX XXXX notifying me that SYNCB/XXXX had done a hard inquiry on my credit score/report. I was also notified that my score dropped with 6 points because of this inquiry. 

To further confirm my identity I was required to upload : - a photo of a state issued ID card - a letter/utility bill with my address - a photo with my SSN. 

Since I had just recently moved ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to my current address my Driver License still has my old address on it. When I went to the DMV after the move they gave me a little DMV Change of Address card which has my DL Nr and my new address written on it by hand and a DMV date stamp of XXXX 

To fulfill the further ID verification requirements I uploaded : - a photo of my CA driver license together with the DMV Change of Address card. 
- a photo containing a letter/bill from XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX electricity and XXXX XXXX which both contained my name and my current ( new address ). 
- a photo of my SSN card which contains my name and my SSN. 

In the previous weeks I had also updated my address with my two bank accounts and had seen that my address was updated in both accounts and also in some of my online credit report monitoring platforms ( XXXX  XXXX XXXX, XXXX ) so I didn't expect there to be any discrepancies in my application in regards to my address. 

After uploading these documents and checking back in the XXXX app under the XXXX Credit Card offer section it stated something along the lines of 'Application in process - Currently Verifying your documents '. 

A few hours later when I looked again, the XXXX Credit Card offer section was entirely gone. No notification, no email, no further information requested. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I received a letter from Synchony Bank with the reference XXXX stating 'we are unable to approve your request at this time for the following reason : We were unable to verify your identity '. 

I contacted XXXX, and they gave me the Nr of the Synchrony Bank Credit Card service that handles the XXXX applications and explained the situation clearly, and asked to be explained how it was that they could pull my credit report and receive my documents and still were not able to verify my identity. I asked if something was missing and if I needed to provide anything. 

-The first time the Synchrony employee said she would connect me with the verification department but then while being put through the call was disconnected.

-The second attempt the Synchrony employee said that verification was done automatically and a denial is not reviewed by a person and therefore it is impossible to know why my identity was not successfully verified. In other words nothing she could do. 
-The third time the Synchrony employee said he would put me through but in the end all he did was connect me with XXXX XXXX Customer service who in return said I can apply again earliest by XX/XX/XXXX but could not tell me why my identity wasn't verified either. 
-The fourth attempt was similar to my first attempt. 

The reason I am complaining about this, is not because I necessarily need a XXXX card, but because of the principal that large companies should not be able to get away with denying someone that has a decent credit score and no negative payment history ( or even someone with bad credit for that matter ) for reasons that are seemingly incorrect and vague ( since I provided clear photos of my DL, SSN and utility bills ) and without any way to find out what it was that was unclear or not successfully verified. Leaving the applicant with merely a ding in their score ( 6 points drop in my case ) and a hard inquiry which remains on their report for 24 months. 

Since I know that they successfully performed a hard pull on my credit score/history and that they received clear photos of my CA DL, my SSN and two utility bills/ letters with my current address it seems unfair to deny my application with the reason they gave me and not providing any further information or possible way to provide more proof of my identity ( they could have asked for my Passport or Permanent Resident Card and I could have provided these ). 

At this point it seems they could just as easily denied my application because they don't like my name, or my face on my ID card. For if it was a piece of information missing in my ID verification they could easily request this and I could provide it. And if it was my credit score ( XXXX in XXXX and XXXX in XXXX XXXX score - prior to their hard pull ) they could have stated that as the reason. 

Thank you for reading my extensive statement, and I hope you understand my point of view. Kind regards, XXXX XXXX from XXXX XXXX, CA.

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