Consumer complaint received 2017-03-05
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NV
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Installment loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease

Complaint:
I am an Amazon Prime customer & I purchased a massage chair 45 days ago via Amazon Prime. The purchase price was {$2200.00}. When I was making this purchase a pop-up ad appeared offering 12 months same as cash financing if I applied for an Amazon Prime charge account. I applied & was approved for this account which it turns out is offered via Synchrony Bank in XXXX, OH. 2 weeks after the purchase I attempted to make a payment on my Synchrony Bank account online. I got a message saying I needed to call an XXXX # so I did. The XXXX # was answered by Synchrony Bank 's Customer Service Department. The agent told me I needed to verify my identity because someone at Synchrony had placed a Fraud block on my account. After answering 5 minutes of? 's the agent refused to let me make a payment. He put me on hold for 10 minutes & then told me that his Manager said that I needed to make a copy of my Drivers License, write my account #, date & sign it & mail it to Synchrony Bank in a XXXX, OH. I told the phone agent that it was crazy to me that he would n't let me make a payment on my account. I asked him who commits fraud by making a payment on an account? He could n't answer my?. He proceeded to give me a 2 minute disertation about Synchrony Banks Fraud policies. The next day I made a copy of my Drivers License, signed & dated it & wrote my account # & mailed it. Yesterday I tried again to make an online payment & got the same message telling me to call an XXXX #. I called the Synchrony Customer Service Department last night & the agent ( XXXX ) gave me the same FBI interrogation that I got 3 weeks ago. He refused to let me make a payment so I asked to speak to a Supervisor. The Supervisor admitted that Synchrony received the copy of my Drivers License I mailed 3 weeks ago. She said my account was under 'investigation '. I about fell out of my chair in disbelief. I asked her how I was OK to get approved by Synchrony for a {$3000.00} Amazon Prime account but I am not OK to make a payment on the account? She placed me on hold for 10 minutes & then told me she would create a XXXX call with a payment agent that could take my payment. After I made my payment the Supervisor said in order for Synchrony to remove the Fraud block on my account i needed to make a copy of a recent utility bill & mail it to the same XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, OH where I sent my Drivers License. I told her that I was n't going to waste anymore time sending Synchrony Bank ID docs. I told her I was going to file a complaint against her company & their Gestapo tactics. She told me that there was a late charge on my account & I asked her how that could be when I have n't received any statements or emails telling me how much I owe. I also reminded her that I was supposed to receive 12 months same as cash. She told me she could n't discuss my account because of the Fraud block. This is the most insane thing I have ever seen in my XXXX years on this planet. Help!

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