Consumer complaint received 2023-02-22
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
State: DC
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: Overcharged for something you did purchase with the card

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022, I purchased a set of XXXX XXXX and 3rd Generation XXXX from an in-store location in XXXX XXXX ( see receipt no. XXXX ). During my transaction, I could not check out with the monthly installment option that was initially requested. The manager assisting me suggested that I purchase the items outright and call the apple card support line to have the transaction converted. I did just so through the apple support chat after the transaction cleared on XX/XX/XXXX. However, the installment plan or balance was not reflected in my wallet app where my previous installments were stored despite seeing the outstanding balance adjustment. 

Concerned that something had gone wrong, I contacted the apple support line again on XX/XX/XXXX and the agent assisting me suggested going back to the store to return the items and re-purchase them under an installment plan. I returned to the store and explained my situation to the check-in person who then directed me to someone who could help. The agent who assisted me was very kind and understanding in my dilemma and processed the refund and re-purchase quickly and efficiently ( see : receipt no. XXXX ). 

As soon as the transaction was complete, the installments instantly showed up in my app where they were supposed to be but my installment balance had increased to {$1300.00} whereas I expected the balance to be {$700.00} ( XXXX + XXXX ) according to my calculations including the previous installment plan outstanding on my account. As I noted all the transactions were still pending, I decided to wait to see if the balance would correct itself when the transactions cleared. When reviewing my XXXX statement, I noticed the XXXX credit had decreased by {$160.00} instead of the {$97.00} my installment plans had equaled out to ( XXXX XXXX : {$19.00}, XXXX XXXX : {$41.00}, XXXX  XXXX XXXX : {$28.00}, Apple XXXX for XXXX : {$7.00} ) for the month. 

I reached out again to an apple card support agent on XX/XX/XXXX through XXXX inquiring about the deduction of the credit. I spoke with XXXX who explained to me that the reason the Apple Card Monthly Installment is still active is because the device was purchased in full and Goldman Sachs manually put the device on installments. Unfortunately, Apple would not have been able to refund it as an installment since it was purchased in full. The installment will remain active because Apple did refund the full amount of the XXXX in the amount of {$440.00} on XX/XX/2022 ; which, to me, sounds suspiciously like being required to pay for the same installment plan twice. When I expressed this and questioned why the refund credit that I received could not be applied to the installment plan it was for, I was not given a definitive answer but received an offer to have my incident escalated ( ref : XXXX ) to the technical team with the hopes of correcting it. I received a phone call from the technical team who stated that there was nothing they could do on their end to close the installment plan but I should speak with Apple, preferably in store to see if they were willing to offer a credit correction to have it removed. 

With this advice in mind, I made a XXXX XXXX appointment to speak with a supervisor at my local store at XXXX XXXX in XXXX , DC. The supervisor there stated that there was nothing to correct as you already received the refund and we have no record of a payment plan although I showed them my bill multiple times and explained that although there was a credit, the amount being deducted was incorrect. The supervisor insisted that my problem wasnt with Apple but Goldman Sachs. Extremely frustrated with such a tedious process, I contacted Apple Card support again by phone and was bounced back and forth multiple times from agent to agent who insisted my issue was with not one office, but another to which I finally requested to speak with a supervisor to attempt to get an actual answer to my issue. After speaking with the supervisor ( I believe his name was XXXX? ) who, while very kind, explained to me that he could not explain the math to me but firmly insisted that although the installment plan was still reflected on my account, it would fall off once the credit on my account was used. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I noticed again that with the last of the credit deducted from my account, the balance outstanding did not coincide with the cost of the current installment plans. I promptly contacted apple support to attempt once again to sort this out. Again, a Goldman Sachs agent stated I should speak with an apple care specialist, not apple card. Put on hold again, I finally spoke with a very kind young woman by the name of XXXX, who was very efficient in investigating my claim. In the end, she and I both agreed that I should have been speaking with Goldman Sachs all along. After connecting me with the right department, I was EXTREMELY grateful to hear her request my permission to remain on the line to help where she could and see this claim to the end. The Goldman Sachs agent we dealt with was also very kind and detailed in her research into this claim. After about 10 minutes of being on hold, she came back to the phone and agreed that I had an outstanding installment plan that I should not have been paying for. However, because the refund was not processed correctly and applied to close the installment plan, it would remain open until the balance was paid because the credit was no longer on my account. To be sure I understood her correctly, I re-capped all that she had told me to which I calmly expressed that while I was not frustrated with her directly, I was indeed frustrated with how this entire situation was handled up until I spoke to her and XXXX and asked that she voice my complaint to a superior because I should not have been held liable for mistakes made on their part despite my attempts to have it corrected. With that, I told her I wanted to pay the balance in full so that my account was clear. 

I was fully content to let the matter drop as long as the rogue installment plan was closeduntil I received a phone call XX/XX/XXXX from an Apple Card supervisor who wanted to follow up about my complaint. She was incredibly dismissive and proceeded to talk over me as I attempted to detail to her my entire situation then kept insisting that I should look at my current statement to see that I do not have an outstanding installment plan to which I repeatedly attempted to explain that I just paid the balance in full over the weekend. Again, she insisted that she could send me a copy of my statement to which I stated that I no longer required her assistance and terminated the phone call.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation