Consumer complaint received 2024-10-09
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL (NY)

Summary : I've been a Lowes/MVP customer for several years with thousands of dollars of purchases. This is a case of what I see as deceptive, breaching and burdensome practices relating to a promotional purchase for {$1000.00} pay-over-18 months - that was instead taken from my bank account in full at the next bill. In a subsequent chat ( below ), the Lowes servicer Synchrony claimed that their ability to manage automatic payments between regular and promotional purchases " is not yet available. '' XXXX XXXX, on the other hand, can allocate and has for years, and has a method by which the customer can even allocate payments themselves - I've done it for a {$13000.00} purchase. 

Lowes/Synchrony thinks it acceptable to agree to a pay-over-time contract with existing customers, then take the full amount of the customer 's money out of their bank, and then place the burden on the customer to call - but within 60 days of the " transaction date '' ( sic ) - and untangle a mess they didn't make. How many other unsuspecting customers have they done this to? 

Lowes/Synchrony excuses are not credible, and nowhere in their statement 's fine print or their topic-specific webpage " What is a Deferred Interest Promotion '' at https : //www.synchrony.com/consumer-resources/deferred-interest - do they say they aren't able to allocate promotional payments. They don't warn the customer that the entire promotional balance could be immediately deducted, but suggest you call ( within 60 days of the transaction ) into an overseas call center and " learn what options are available, '' which I did, below. 

On XX/XX/XXXX during a 40 minute call, I endured how this scheme created a lucrative opportunity for Lowes/Synchrony to hurriedly change the customer 's automatic payment amounts from the interest-saving " total statement balance '' to " total minimum payment '' - which I let them do to see if they would actually do this- which then brings an interest rate of an astonishing 32 % to bear - 37 %! if late - a usurious detail they must be carefully trained not to mention. 

The Bureau needs to protect consumers from this behavior and admonish and instruct Lowes/Synchrony to implement a functioning payment allocation system that works at the time of purchase when the promotional contract is made - and not instead put the burden on the customer to call in later to disentangle a hidden mess they didn't make. Lowes/Synchrony breached this pay over time promotional offer by debiting the full {$1000.00} amount immediately, causing me harm by reducing my bank account unexpectedly and imperiling other payment obligations I have. 

Companies like Lowes/Synchrony just don't seem to understand that once they break the trust like this with a customer, they will always be remembered as an untrustworthy partner the moment you think of shopping there. 

Resolution : ( below on CFPB form ) All the Details : For years, I've had my Lowes autopay set to pay the " total statement balance '' in full each month to avoid carrying interest charges. On XX/XX/XXXX I purchased a tow behind trailer for {$1000.00}. I elected to take up their offer of 18 month " reg deferred interest with pay '' same-as-cash minimum payment option that they heavily promote everywhere in the store and on their statements, rather than pay-in-full and enjoy an also heavily promoted pay now discount of 5 %, in this case {$51.00}. 

Four months of statements needed deciphering. The next paperless statement with a payment due date of XX/XX/XXXX ( there are no " statement dates '' ), I see both the " promotion expiration notification '' in red ink and then the usual " promotional purchase summary '' box, each showing an expiration in 18 months on XX/XX/XXXX. Easily overlooked, especially with autopay and on paperless statements that require a login and several clicks to obtain the bill, is the autopay message in a different XXXX showing a {$1000.00} payment scheduled. Instead, you see it shows a minimum payment due of {$30.00}. 

On the next statement dated XX/XX/XXXX, the ENTIRE {$1000.00} " promotional '' balance was taken from my bank, completely disregarding the promotional agreement terms. 

Meaning, instead of waiting the 18 months that we clearly agreed to ( with minimum payments ), they snatched the entire {$1000.00} all at once, without a care what this large debit could do to the customer 's cash flow and other bills. And then, they put the burden on the customer to call up and disentangle a mess they didn't create, dealing with trained and scripted representatives and long hold times, hoping - as is widely known in the industry - that the customer will hang up. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called their XXXX number and was sent to an overseas non-native-english language speaking call center for a 40 minute call with a 15 minute hold. I also initiated a chat window. 

In the chat, I say Customer : " my 18 month promotional balance was entirely deducted from my bank account. doesn't your autopay distinguish promo balances from new purchases? '' and they reply : L/S : " autopay only has XXXX options to choose from with regards to payment amount. In addition, autopay doesn't distinguish what the promotional balance is. '' and then : L/S : " I'm sorry if the feature is not available yet with our autopay. '' I then say that I want that {$1000.00} that was deducted from my bank account returned to me. Then, what seems to be a supervisor suddenly appears and says : L/S : " Oops! My wires got crossed for a second. I may have missed something. Can you please try again? '' and then says " How much is the amount of the refund you are requesting from the {$1000.00}? '' Simultaneously, on the phone, the representative then hurried me through the needless process of " enrolling me in autopay '' ( I was already enrolled for years ), not disclosing that they signed me up with the " total minimum payment '' option instead of " total statement balance, '' which then subjects my balances to 32 % APR. I listened for this very carefully. Then, with hurried assurances that they'll send a refund check if approved, they say they're not able to provide a case number " until the refund gets approved. '' A refund check for {$1100.00} arrived at my home around XX/XX/XXXX. 

In the next statement for XX/XX/XXXX, the " promotional purchase summary '' box is gone, no mention anywhere of the pay over time agreement we contracted to. Instead, Lowes/Synchrony debited the {$1100.00} as a " refund check '', and added it as a regular interest-bearing purchase, pushing my balance due up by almost {$1200.00}. All subject to 32 % interest. I waited to see what they would do next, to collect documentation. 

A month later on the next statement for XX/XX/XXXX, the " promotional purchase summary '' box is suddenly back, there's now a credit for {$1000.00} labelled " promotion correction, '' which they restored as a pay over time purchase, and then added a {$2.00} cash grab termed " minimum interest charge. '' Conclusion : So, almost 5 months after making a substantial purchase with the clear understanding that I could pay the cost over time, then suddenly being stripped of my funds right from my bank, and then having to endure a slippery call center call experience, followed by more months of having to decipher confusing statements, we're back to where we started - except I'm out several hours and more of figuring this out and worrying what Lowes/Synchrony will do next.

My local Lowes is twice as far away as the local XXXX XXXX - Lowes should wonder why I drove twice as far to get to them. Why would I do that now?