Consumer complaint received 2016-01-06
Product: Credit card — 
Issue: Late fee — 
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL (WA)

In XXXX of 2015 I had an emergency with a pet and due to the amount of the veterinary services it was suggested to apply for a Care Credit account through Synchrony bank to help defer the balance and made a {$25.00} payment and a {$45.00} payment. I was later contactacted in XX/XX/XXXX by an automated system to confirm payments and spoke to a representative to try and be clear about the payment scheduling and options. After speaking with the representative I set up an auto withdrawl on the XXXX of each month for {$50.00} a month from my XXXX XXXX account with the understanding the interest would be due on the entire amount if the balance was not paid by XXXX 2015. I was unware that there was a ZERO grace period for payments with an automatic due date generated for the XXXX of each month and each payment since I had spoken to the Care Credit/Sychrony bank representative in XX/XX/XXXX was approximately 10 days late and I was charged a late fee between {$25.00} and {$35.00} every month for late fees. I had only set the auto payments through XXXX of 2015 and began receiving regular calls from the sychrony bank automated collection system beginning approximately XX/XX/XXXX and planned to pay off the balance on my next payday in XX/XX/XXXX as I am paid monthly on the XXXX of the month. I found in the automated collection system that I have a {$410.00} on an orignal bill of {$500.00} with approximately {$270.00} in late fees and {$90.00} in interest since XX/XX/XXXX ( regular payments were made monthly through XX/XX/XXXX ) I was extremely upset to find out the {$320.00} I had paid via my banks automated bill pay system following the conversation with the XXXX XXXX Bank did n't even cover the late fees. I finally got through the automated system and was assisted by " XXXX '' who informed me of the late fees since XX/XX/XXXX and confirmed th {$410.00} balance due and then by " XXXX '' who stated she was located in XXXX XXXX and the only thing they could help me with was making the {$87.00} payment due on the {$410.00} balance. I then asked to speak to someone in America. I then spoke to " XXXX '' who informed me there was nothing they could do it was my fault and representatives at any level are only allowed to remove XXXX late charge every calendar year ( 12 months ) and I was out of luck. I requested to be transffered to the corparate headquarters and " XXXX '' inofmred me that she wopuld be able to transfer me one more time and they would tell me the same thing. I told her that was unacceptable and this is what is wrong with our country and that the banking system and intitutions like thiers were the problem with our country and I felt like was like being robbed. I then spoke to " XXXX '' who asked for my billing address. I gave her my address, reitierated my story, told her " XXXX had already infomred me that she could n't help me and asked for corparate headquarters contact information and for an actual person to address my concerns with. She informed me that there is no one else to speak to in the organization and the are directed to have customers send inquiries and complaints to " Correspondence '' at a XXXX. XXXX in XXXX Florida. ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX - Zip XXXX ). I told her that was unnacceptable and absolutely wrong that a finacial institution could treat individuals this way with no course of remediation or contact with an actual person in the organzation outside of the customer service call centers around the world. All of these calls were recorded as per each representative I spoke with and when I asked how I could attain the recordings " XXXX '' informed me they would need to be subpeonaed by an attorney. I have made timely payments following the contact I had in XXXX of 2015 and I am stunned and extremely saddened that the American Banking system and regulations allow institutions like Synchrony Bank to take advantage of and fleece the average American consumer like this.