Consumer complaint received 2024-10-08
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: Synovus Bank (WA)

This secured credit card company named " FIRST PROGRESS '' has the most frustrating customer service support I have ever dealt with. I have to call in every XXXX months to inquire on why my account is receiving late fees, account holds ( can't use card ), or a mess-up on the transactions list showing incorrect amounts when looking up account activity. 

But their customer service experience is like a 'Catch XXXX ' because when you call them, and inquire about asking the question XXXX is this happening on my account? ', the customer service representative can NEVER give me a direct answer, instead they direct me to send a Fax to 'another department ' with my account details and to detail and ask them through fax. I don't have fax, nor does anyone around me and this is a personal account, not business. Then you have to wait for a response in the physical mail from this 'other department ' to send you a lettered response. But soon you will see, this type of customer service GETS NOTHING DONE/ ACCOMPLISHED. 

Most recent example of this is when my XXXX payment was listed as 'late ' and they added a late charge. This was strange to me as my payments are always submitted before the due date. The way I always made payment for this card was the way they told me when I first signed up XXXX  years ago, creating a Bill Pay through my personal bank XXXX and have them send out the check for me to the credit card for payment. After calling up the credit card and speaking to the customer service, they let me know they never received the payment / check. So I call XXXX and let them know, they tell me that this is a bad way of paying bills because sometimes checks get lost in the mail and advised me to put a STOP PAYMENT on that check ( which we did ). I then go login to the credit card portal and see now they offer credit card payments through XXXX, and I submit a payment for the full balance after finding out they marked it as late for not receiving payment. I call back the credit card company and they let me know I need to send them a fax with my account details and the reasons as to why I think I should be getting that late fee reversed and my account not 'dinged '. So I let XXXX know that they need to send a fax on my behalf to them explaining they had to put a Stop Payment on that check because they feared it was lost in the mail and card holder will re-submit payment. Which this was done through their portable with the XXXX option. 

End of XXXX I get a response letter in the mail that is dated XXXX from Secured Credit Card po box XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX. The letter response is " Unfortunately we are unable to fulfill your request at this time. Please contact our Customer Service Department for further assistance. '' So I call the customer service number yet again and inquire on why I am receiving this letter that is saying they can't help me and what is was referring to exactly. I got transferred from the normal department, to the Fraud Department, back to the normal customer service line because no one could even look up the letter I was referring to, they could not say if this letter was in response to my bank Fax, or what EXACTLY it was referring to. No one knew and I just kept getting a generic answer with no real tangible facts of the situation. 

Now it is XX/XX/year> and I am trying to use my credit card ( like i do every month ) to pay bills with, and all my transactions are declined. I I call up customer service and inquire on why my account was not processing transactions like normal, and they tell me " We have put a hold on your credit card because of a recent Large Payment. '' I asked them what that meant exactly as my monthly payments are varied depending on how much was spend that month ( just like any other credit card ), and I kept getting put on Hold. After several times asking the same questions, all he tells me is that we sent you a letter in the mail for the reason and I have to wait for this letter for the answer. ( By the point i am frustrated ) I asked them if this was either in reference to my bank sending that Fax, or if it was me switching from how I normally pay this card from check to XXXX ( even though my bank XXXX sent a verification in that Fax confirming I am the account holder when asking to reverse late fee for that lost payment check ) - The guy just repeated exact words, " Well I have already helped with your main concern, once you see the letter please read it. '' I stressed to them many times that the information they are giving me is not helpful, only makes me angry more, and gets me no where closer to my answer. If I already verified I am the credit card holder ( you have to verify ID to talk to them ), why can you not just tell me why now as I have pre-set bills that go on this card and I need to resolve now, not later. Nothing, just the same answer, the rep could not even look up the Fax or Letter I am referring to that is dated XXXX. 

It is all these factors and more that has lost my confidence in this credit card company. Just to be clear, If I could cancel this card I would. But because of how our credit score system works, if I close this account I will be dinged negatively on my score as this is my oldest card I have. I simply use the credit card through the month, and pay the full balance end of the month, never missed a payment. 

Their customer Service line and representatives are a joke, and I believe failing to provide the necessary information that is being requested from the account holder / owner and at the time of it being requested. All of these lack of communication in a swift manure when it comes to payments and fees really affect the normal general consumer like me when trying so hard in life to keep payments on time and keep credit score in good condition. The way they are setup, it hinders the consumer to be successful having a credit card and getting information at the time you need it. Not a month later from a letter in the mail that simply reads 'Sorry ' - This is a endless circle and I have been dealing with them every month now. 

I am now waiting for a new letter that is dated XX/XX/year>. The most recent representative told me that inside the letter they are asking me to send them a copy of my bank statement for verification? This is the same bank I have made all my payments from since I had this card. And my bank has already verified during sign up, at the time I increased my account limit, and so many others. Again, the question is " Why am I having to send a copy of my bank statement when nothing has changed in where payment is coming from '' - But all they say is follow the letter instructions. 

But here is what is going to happen, by the time i read the letter, and I call the customer service line again to inquire about the letter. I am going to get the same endless circle of answers, and I seriously can not take it anymore. My personal bank XXXX is even frustrated in how they operate as well which actually scares me since that is coming from a credited bank talking about a credit card I have and how they operate. 

I am worried by next month, that because my account is on hold right now, they will not let me make a payment, which will turn into a 'Late / no payment ' charge, even though I am actively trying to resolve this but credit card DUES dates don't comprehend situations when I am being flocked around from XXXX customer rep to another and no one giving me information. I know I am going to get fee 'd and dinged which they will turn around and report to the credit bureaus and this scares me. Please help, I am at a loss.