Consumer complaint received 2023-03-31
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: OH
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Other problem

Complaint:
I am writing in regarding the unfair and deceptive practices Synchrony Bank used on me. This is regarding the accounts I had with them where I reported the card stolen. In my personal experience with Synchrony Bank 's practices makes me wonder what the truth is that I'm being told. It also makes me question what ever this bank sends me in writing if I should question if this is the truth I'm being told or if this would be a lie. I've learned the hard way letters, documents, bank statements don't mean anything for proof. It's just like junk mail it means nothing for a consumer 's protection. 

The first store card nightmare experience that is still ongoing is with XXXX XXXX. Back in XX/XX/XXXX the XXXX XXXX credit card was pd in full and paid off. Since I was never given any statements for this account I would always have to call in to check on the account transactions, etc. I also was not able to set up a online account where I could see my account online. All I would get was error messages. 
When I had to report my card being stolen by one of the store employees. I was assured I wouldn't be held reliable for all the charges that was put through on my account. Even on the document that is attached to your new card that is mailed out to consumers even stated " For your protection, your account has {$0.00} fraud liability. '' This in my own experience is 100 % false and misleading. 

I received some letters from Synchrony Bank regarding the outcome of their investigation back in XXXX. I didn't think anything about the typos that was put on these letters then. Now to have these be used against me from another company 's collection agency trying to recollect on a card that I reported stolen to Synchrony Bank. I was completely blindsided on this latest deceptive move regarding Synchrony Bank. 

I was under the impression that the advertised {$0.00} Fraud Liability and the written letters, emails, 1099C ( that I received this year while I'm being sued for this ) was my proof. I also have phone recordings where I am still able to call in and access this card account after putting in my account number ( this is both saying the account number into the phone and also punching the account numbers in the phone. If this account wasn't active I wouldn't be able to get into my account over the phone like I always did before this happened. In these recordings it gives choices ( after you put in your account number, where it states to bring up your account ) to make a dispute or check status of a existing dispute, to make a payment, to check on your 1099c tax form. 

According to the collection agency that filed a lawsuit against me on this alleged account their client bought from Synchrony Bank, that all letters, documents, all correspondence I had with Synchrony bank including all the letters I wrote are now alleged as not received and never was sent out according to what they said Synchrony Bank claims. 

This collection agency never contacted me, their " alleged '' client never contacted me regarding this matter. The only contact I received is from is the courts. This debt wasn't even attempted to be validated until after the lawsuit was already filed. No proof was provided to back their claims or anything. 

Due to my rights being violated, along with the Fair Debt Collect Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, etc never being followed I am now forced into paying someone else 's purchases. 

How is this a trustworthy bank? 

The second store card nightmare is regarding the XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX credit card. I filed a complaint to your office regarding this matter clear back in XXXX. The case number is XXXX. The reason I'm bringing this back to light is because of a letter I received from Synchrony Bank regarding the dispute of this stolen card. This new letter undermines what the written response was to the original complaint I filed with your office. It also goes onto state Synchrony Bank identified an error in the resolution of your prior dispute initiated on XX/XX/XXXX. This account was already closed as of the complaint I filed with you back in XXXX. The only account that had a dispute initiated around this time was XXXX XXXX not XXXX 's XXXX. As of this date of this complaint being filed no check has been issued since this account was closed. 

The third store card nightmare that is ongoing is with the XXXX credit card. Since this card was also reported stolen by a store employee. Again I was assured I wouldn't be held reliable for these purchases. Synchrony Bank took legal action against me to try to collect on the purchases that was made when the card was reported stolen. Since I filed a counterclaim against them regarding this I never heard anything more after the lawsuit was dropped until this year. I received a 1099c tax document from Synchrony Bank that was enclosed in with the 1099c tax document for XXXX XXXX store card. 

I'm leery on what to do with these tax documents since Synchrony Bank has a history of denying sending out certain letters or documents to their liking. According to the collect agency regarding the XXXX XXXX matter, they claim that Synchrony Bank told them that they never mailed me out " Any '' 1099c tax documents. If this is the case where did the tax id numbers come from? 


Lately with the experience I've been dealing with on the deceiving and dishonest practices, is Synchrony Bank going to wait another over 5 years to claim they made more errors, but never follow through with anything? 

More rights need to be given to consumers regarding these unfair and deceptive practices being used against consumers. Letters, documents, bank statements, emails, etc that is given to consumers should have more legal weight of proof for consumers. Not having a unfair and deceptive company claiming these documents are not theirs and the consumer has no way of fairly backing up these claims. Which in return makes the broken legal system even more unfairly one-sided.

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