Consumer complaint received 2024-06-30
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL (CA)

Merchant : XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Address : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CA XXXX ) Credit Card Company : CareCredit ( Dispute Claim ID : XXXX ) On XX/XX/year>, a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ), XXXX XXXX XXXX ( # XXXX ) came to my workplace, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( # XXXX ) in XXXX, CA. On XX/XX/year> a colleague from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and I went to XXXX XXXX XXXX for an initial consultation on the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, which XXXX XXXX informed us would include a promo on a 45-minute XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$69.00}. 

During the initial consultation at XXXX XXXX XXXX I filled out an intake form on a company XXXX and documented that my target concern was the loose skin on my abdomen. XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) and unlicensed personnel/owner, XXXX XXXX performed a 45-minute XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  on the XXXX  of myself and XXXX XXXX in a shared treatment room with double beds. 

Unfortunately, it was only after I had purchased a package for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$5500.00} that I discovered that the owner, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX fraudulently misrepresented their services and product, because the owner presented the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as a solution for my loose skin, only to learn later on that the XXXX XXXX machine was not designed for that, but is designed to burn fat and build muscle. 

I also learned that the establishment, XXXX XXXX XXXX needs to be under a Medical Board licensure in order to sell the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX since its considered a medical procedure in the State of California and that a Medical Doctor should be supervising a qualified licensed practitioner ( e.g., Medical Doctor, Licensed Nurse Practitioner, or Physicians Assistant ) during the initial consultation. Neither XXXX XXXX nor XXXX XXXX is licensed as such. During the initial consultation, XXXX and I overheard the XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX tell the owner, XXXX that she needs training and/or certification on how to properly operate the XXXX XXXX since XXXX had to readjust the paddles correctly on my abdomen as well as XXXX and increase the wattage on the machine after the XXXX initially started the treatment. 

After gathering all this information over the course of the following days, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/year> for clarification ; However, the owner has chosen not to answer my inquiries regarding the licensure and certification of the individual ( XXXX ) who would be performing the treatment. When I purchased the package for {$5500.00} on XX/XX/year>, the seller provided me what I thought was free skin care products. However, on my receipt it reflected that I was charged dollar amounts for all the skin care products and {$0.00} for the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I did not question this at the time of the sale, because as a consumer I really thought I was getting a good deal on the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX In the document I am attaching to this complaint, I have provided a letter addressed to my credit card company, CareCredit that contains screenshots with the seller, XXXX XXXX. At some point, he was willing to refund my money so long as I return all the skin products, he had given me. I was more than happy to do this and even scheduled a time I could stop by his spa. However, the seller decided to cancel the meeting last minute and not refund me. 

I have not received any XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX since making my purchase, as I do not feel safe nor confident that this business can ensure that they can safely perform this medical procedure without putting my physical health in harms way and are abiding by state regulations. 
I signed up for CareCredit on the day of my transaction with XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/year>. I opened a dispute with CareCredit on XX/XX/year> for the amount of {$5500.00} made by XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, CA. Since opening the dispute, I have contacted several government agencies regarding my experience at XXXX XXXX, including the Medical Board of California, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Federal Trade Commission, the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and the Attorney General. I also wrote a lengthy letter to CareCredit explaining why this sale was unethical and deceptive. I have been diligently uploading documents ( e.g., correspondence with governing boards ) onto my dispute activity via online submission with Synchrony bank with regular calls to CareCredit and speaking with customer care representatives who dont seem to know if these documents are being submitted or reviewed. I do not receive any emails/texts/calls that my uploaded documents are being received. 

In fact, on XX/XX/year> I logged into my CareCredit account and discovered that my dispute had been closed in favor of the merchant and that Im responsible for the full amount of {$5500.00}. When I spoke with a customer care representative, XXXX on XX/XX/year> I was informed that the merchant responded to the dispute earlier that week and that my letter to CareCredit submitted on XX/XX/year> had not been reviewed. Given this unfair review, my dispute was reopened on XX/XX/year> for the full amount of {$5500.00}. I have also decided to get the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau involved as I now feel uneasy with the way CareCredit originally handled my dispute. CareCredit is being used at XXXX XXXX to sign up new unsuspecting costumers, potentially ruining anyones credit score using this. I did not get what I paid for and am subject to losing this dispute for a service that is technically illegal to offer.