Consumer complaint received 2025-05-16 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Closing your account — Can't close your account
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Value City XXXX retail branded Synchrony credit card account was opened, with a failed duty of care to notify of me of Synchronys possessed documentary evidence of fraud linked to the account, causing that while I was deceptively led to believe I was applying for a sole card holder account I was, in fact, unknowingly applying for an already initiated joint-application with another exercising fraudulent intent. 

Documented evidence of this fraudulent intent was only just provided to me XXXX days ago, after nearly a year of Value Citys branded Synchrony account refusal, in repeated breach of its own contract terms, in ongoing wrongful denial of my provision of any and all information having to do with this account. 

Person known to me as the initiator of this perpetuated fraud XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX FRAUD Please know XXXX XXXX is my daughter who, for reasons not known to me, decided to take unfair advantage of a familial level of trust that, previous to this matter concerning Value Citys retail branded Synchrony card account, I had no cause to reasonably believe, suspect, or ever expect. 

Please see Synchronys letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, addressed as follows : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 
XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX It is a credit card denial letter. 

Please note : Reasons for denial : Input address inconsistent with address on file ( albeit overlooking the misspelling of my first name ). 

FAILED AND OBVIOUS FRAUD ATTEMPT I posit : This was a failed attempt by XXXX XXXX to fraudulently open an account using my Personal Identifying Information, with her own address, and it being inconsistent with my address on file, her effort failed. 

FAILED DUTY OF CARE TO ALERT ME OF FAILED FRAUD ATTEMPT Given that Synchrony chose to send this denial letter addressed to me, to the address of XXXX XXXX admittedly inconsistent with my own address on file, and by Synchronys neglected duty of care to contact me by reasonable means readily at hand and that they knew or should have known at the time, they chose to act otherwise in deliberate prevention of my being made timely aware that a fraudulent attempt to use my credit was underway, such to negligently leave me without cause to reasonably believe, suspect, or expect fraud by my own daughter. 

FRAUDULENT DECEIT NEGLIGENTLY ALLOWED TO RUN XXXX XXXX telephoned me requesting that I apply for a Value City retail branded Synchrony card to assist her with a purchase of a couch. I did apply and my application was denied by text message, stating that the reason for denial would be given by mailed letter. 

FURTHER DELAYED INFORMATION ALERTING TO FRAUD THAT CAUSED ACTUAL HARM But the for the delayed explanation made by mailed letter, that the reason for denial was because my application was made too soon - after a previous denial of credit that I did not apply for, I would have been alerted to the fraudulent intent and efforts of my daughter. 

But I did not timely receive this information as prevented my being made aware, and instead provided only that I remained unknowing of a cause to reasonably believe, suspect, or expect my daughters taking unfair advantage of our familial relationship of trust with a fraudulent intent. 

FRAUD METHOD I contacted XXXX XXXX by text message that my application was denied. 

XXXX XXXX contacted me shortly after by phone. She said shed spoken to a Synchrony Value City representative and theyd given her a phone number that I was supposed to call to apply. She explained it was her belief, as a result of her discussion with Synchrony Value City customer service, that some sort of mix-up was the reason my application was denied. 

I was not timely informed of the just previous failed attempt by another, being XXXX XXXX, and clearly not by me, to apply for this card, leaving me without timely notified cause to reasonably believe, suspect, or expect my daughters intended fraud, or deceptive lie. 

I telephoned the number XXXX XXXX provided and my application was processed and approved. 

NEGLIGENCE IN ORCHESTRATED FURTHERANCE OF FRAUD NOTE : At NO time during this phone application process, did I request, nor was I informed, that the application process completed was for a joint and not the sole account as I intended and reasonably believed. 

At no time was I advised that it was a joint application already initiated by XXXXXXXX XXXX  without my knowledge or consent. Had I been so advised, completion of this application process would not have happened. 

I was further advised near the end of this phone process, as commonly expected with a sole-owner card account, that I would receive the card and account information by mail within XXXX business days. 

I received neither. 

Throughout this XXXX of my attempts, following the initial fraudulent attempt by XXXXXXXX XXXX still unknown to me, to apply for a Value City retail branded Synchrony card account, solely in my name, discussion with the Value City/SYNCB customer service representative was completely void of any information that otherwise, would have alerted me to the fact that it was a joint, and not the sole-holder account that I reasonably intended and believed I was applying for. 

CAUSED UNDUE HARM In absence of this information necessary to my fully informed decision, I was left without cause to reasonably believe it was anything but an application for an account solely in my name. But for the neglected duty of care owed by Synchrony to fully-inform, the harms caused by this transaction would not have happened. 

FIRST NOTICE- NOT A SOLE-HOLDER ACCOUNT When no card or account information was received, I telephoned Synchronys customer service. I was told the card and information had been mailed to the address on the account- which I was told was my daughters address. I was further erroneously advised that the account was created with XXXX XXXX as primary account holder with me as co-signor. 

FIRST MITIGATING EFFORTS I emphatically told Synchronys representative that at no time did I ever state, nor intend, nor was I ever advised that my application was as a co-signor. And more importantly, I told Synchronys representative that I never intended nor was I advised that the card and account information would go to my daughters address. And that I was, in fact, told very clearly, that the card and account information would be received by me, at my address. 

MIRIGATING EFFORTS IGNORED Numerous phone calls were made in effort to mitigate this fraudulent account. All my efforts were given only conflicting information, and promised actions and provision of information that resulted in nothing more - promises, and not XXXX iota of effective follow-through. 

FIRST NOTICE OF NEGATIVE CREDIT IMPACT It was not until I noted a sudden drastic drop in my XXXX XXXX and looked at my credit report, that it was made known to me that the Value City retail branded Synchrony card account is a joint account. Discovered for the first time also, to my great dismay, was the immediate purchase already made that exceeded the {$5500.00} account limit. 

CONTINUED MITIGATING EFFORTS I called Synchronys customer service numerous times to alert Synchrony that it was never my intent to apply for a joint account, and that I suspected fraud. My efforts to correct this unmitigated error and my deception with fraudulent intent continued in the same manner as before - to no avail. 

ADDITIONAL CREDIT TERM BREACHES Promised account information and online access to this account have repeatedly been promised, and denied. Until prompted by complaint to the CFPB, account terms continued to be promised repeatedly, and were negligently never sent, for nearly a year. 

Promised online access continues to this day to be denied. Even in my many phone calls to Synchronys customer services, I am often denied information or even discussion about this account, stating they can not identify me as an owner of any capacity on this account. 

OTHER MITIGATING EFFORTS Complaint to the XXXX  received Synchrony response stating several mistaken, erroneous, and factually untrue claims. In XXXX call to Synchronys customer services requesting my name be removed from this account, I was told only XXXX XXXX could make that request. 

In Synchronys response through the BBB, it was stated that XXXX XXXX and I share equal authority to make account changes. 

Included in my reply, but not limited to, was my request for proof that I knowingly requested and signed a joint application with XXXX XXXX. 

Given Synchronys changed position that XXXX XXXX and I share equal authorization to make account changes, I requested my name be removed from this account. 

Synchrony Value City gave no further response, nor made any effort to resolve this orchestrated fraud, offered any measure of compromise, or made any attempted corrective action to provide me relief. 

Synchrony Value City made no further response, at all. 

ADDITIONAL EVIDENCED FRAUD Review of my credit report also revealed fraudulent use of another account by XXXX XXXX. Approximately XXXX years previous, Id given her authorized access to buy flooring material, and online account access to facilitate her payments. Her payments were timely and she quickly settled the account. A year later, I received notice that I could renew her authorized access by phone call. Otherwise, it would expire and be terminated. There being no reason to renew it, I did not call and her authorized access expired. 

When she later attempted purchase as an authorized user, it was denied. On her next attempt, she evidently provided some sufficient amount of my XXXX Identifying Information to enable her unauthorized purchase of more than {$500.00}. Shed also used her entrusted online access to change my account address information to her own address. But for my credit report, as the case is here, I might never have known this fraudulent transaction occurred without my knowledge or consent. 

Only then did I also discover her payment of this other account was delinquent, causing detriment to my XXXX XXXX. To save my credit further added damage from her newly discovered fraudulent acts, I had no choice but to pay it in full. 

ADDITIONAL MITIGATING EFFORTS FIRST : I put a freeze on my credit with all three XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

SECOND : Throughout, my confrontation of XXXX XXXX concerning her fraudulent use of my credit, and deceptively orchestrated joint account set-up in seeming concert with Value City XXXX XXXX Synchrony card account representatives, proved not productive. XXXX XXXX terminated communications and presently, continues to do so. The miles between my state of residence in California, and that of XXXX XXXX in XXXXXXXX XXXX, make potential of person-to-person contact an unreasonable impossibility. 

XXXX XXXX XXXX a survivor of the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX disaster that destroyed our entire city and incinerated more than XXXX of our community members alive. I purchased new property and had only just begun development when all at once, to my total surprise, a maintained XXXX XXXX of over XXXX was undermined by fraudulent acts I never had cause to reasonably believe, suspect, or ever expect to take place. 

CAUSE But for my daughter taking advantage of a familial relationship of trust, in concert to Synchronys failed duty of care to notify me of information that was known or should have been known by Synchrony, as necessary to my fully-informed credit card decision making, a duty of care that Synchrony Value City owed and knowingly neglected, this troublesome Value City branded Synchrony credit card account transaction would not have happened. 

FRAUD INVESTIGATION I received a request from Synchrony for information to facilitate their fraud investigation dated XX/XX/XXXX. It requested information be provided within XXXX days, or by XX/XX/XXXX. 

It arrived the same day as Synchronys letter advising of their investigative conclusion, dated as already made XX/XX/XXXX. 

As shown by their subsequent claimed notice, albeit in an entirely different formatted letter than those previously received by me, Synchrony stated their investigative conclusion is based on : : Purchases were already delivered to my address. 
That a XXXX party I authorized, or provided my account information to, made the purchases. 

Neither of these claimed conclusions are based on any true facts of this matter nor can they possibly, even remotely, be supported by verifiable facts and evidence, as correct or true. 

Its entirely probable these erroneous conclusions were reached by Synchronys repeated failure to listen to, correctly make note of, and/or timely act on any of the many, many phone calls I made alerting Synchrony Value City of fraud. 

Its further likely a result, in their investigatory effort, that Synchrony provided me exactly XXXX opportunity to provide them information or anything at all. 

Synchronys conclusion was already made at the same time my receipt of their request for information was even possible. 

XXXX ACCOUNT In XXXX of my many calls to Synchronys customer services, their representative acted to address my many complaints about this fraudulent joint account, and cancelled the card account ending in XXXX. 

And immediately issued a new one with a new number ending in XXXX apparently, still fully active and useable by XXXX XXXX for future transactions. 

Again, this transpired with promise that I would receive the card and account information within XXXX days. 

I did not. 

She also advised I would be provided immediate online access using the new account number. 

My attempt to do so failed. Synchronys XXXX XXXX was also not successful in resolving this dilemma and advised me to call customer service again. 

I did so. 

The customer service representative could not identify me as an owner of any capacity on this newly created account, and was unable to assist. 

As has been the case since the fateful date I made a call to apply for a sole-holder account, Synchrony Value City has repeatedly breached its own credit card account terms, while holding me 100 % accountable to terms that until XX/XX/XXXX nearly a year later, Synchrony Value XXXX XXXX XXXX to provide me. 

Because again, as here, the promised card and account information was never sent to me. 

It is unknown what purpose was served by cancelling this accounts credit card ( ending in XXXX ), only to issue a new one under a new number ( ending in XXXX ) in exact replicate of the problematic fraudulence of the first. 

WHERE WE ARE While able to recover from the other discovered fraudulent delinquency of XXXXXXXX XXXX against my credit, the constant over-utilized state of this Value City/SYNCB account that Synchrony allows XXXXXXXX XXXX to weigh against my credit, by its minimum payments all but erased by exorbitant interest charges, promises a burden of a longevity already escaped of all reasonableness at and by its very conception in the first place. 

PREVIOUS PROVED-FAVORABLE CONSUMER-BUSINESS HISTORY Ive held many retail-branded credit card accounts with Synchrony over the decades, always with a mutually benefitting consumer-business experience, until now. 

Given all that, Synchronys persistence to even entertain only their own long-term benefiting at my on-going undue expense by obvious and unmitigated fraud, takes our better good-faith history stunningly off the rails. 

MITIGATING ACTIONS TAKEN TO THE BEST OF MY REASONABLY FACILITATED OPPORTUNITY AND ABILITY Ive taken every measure to address the element of fraud brought too late to my attention. But for that, my better enabled opportunity to head-off Synchronys and my encounter with this never before seen problem with any other retail branded Synchrony credit card account, would not have been prevented. 

CONCLUSION It is not Synchronys undeserved forgiveness of my foolhardy indebtedness asked for here. 

Im simply asking for Synchronys fair reassessment at the end of this years long burden. And that Synchrony recognize, that by whatever Value City branded card practices are embraced in this case, that now bring Synchrony and I to this never before seen unfortunate point, merits letting it finally be called enough, in the unusually out-of-sorts exchange that even Synchrony cant deny, are found here. 

DESIRED OUTCOME I desire removal of my name from this account for all of the reasons stated above, and here are XXXX more reasons this desired outcome is fair and reasonable : XXXX XXXX has maintained a perfect payment record of nearly XXXX year. 

XXXX XXXX is, apparently, happy to maintain automatically withdrawn minimum payments that almost immediately, are eaten up by exorbitant monthly interest charges, maintaining an account balance promising Synchrony a certainty of interest generated revenue of literal revolving longevity. 

Both of these patterns of customer payment are highly established to benefit credit card issuers a great deal. 

After nearly a year of established consistency of on time payments, there is no reasonable purpose served by dragging my credit further through the burdens and harms of carrying this revolving over-utilized revenue generating machine of a longevity, already benefiting Synchrony enough, without my further fraudulently orchestrated sponsor. 

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE These horribly detrimental circumstances were already at a difficult credit securing time, made worse by current tariff uncertainties. The longer the fraud burden is allowed to hamper my property development plans already in the making, the more harmfully interfering it gets. 

As much as Synchrony and XXXX XXXX may be okay with this arrangement, circumstances at my end do not allow time for the longevity of this interest-generating account set-up to play out. 

That is why, but for the fraud and negligence that deliberately prevented my fully-informed decision-making, and gave rise to the interference with property development already implemented, and as evidenced by my credit history previous to this assault, the notion that I would knowingly take on a lengthy detrimental burden of this sort at such a critical time, is completely absurd. 

And that in all our years of mutually-beneficial consumer-business experiences through various retail branded Synchrony card accounts, the persistence of maintaining this unfairly burdensome, orchestrated fraud as allowed here in this case, as it involves Value Citys retail branded Synchrony card account, is insidious. 

SYNCHRONYS REASONABLY ANTICIPATED CONSIDERATION OF FACTS AND SYNCHRONYS OWN EVIDENCE At years end of this on-going ordeal, considering all the facts and Synchronys own evidence that spells out fraud, the consistency and perfect record of on-time payments, and only detriment weighing unfairly on me, for no more than a good faith intent to open a credit card account solely under my own name and control, my relief from the barriers and burdens of fraud unscrupulously imposed by this account seems the most reasonably fair resolution. 

NO IMPACT ON SYNCHRONY VALUE CITY vs CONTINUED UNDUE, UNREASONABLE DETRIMENT TO ME Synchrony 's position in their selectively agreed partnership with Value City XXXX retail branded credit card account, will neither be substantially affected nor changed in any way, by removal of my name from what I posit and Synchrony has evidenced themselves, to be an intentional and fraudulently created joint account. 

While on the other hand, Synchronys continued imposition of undue harm done to me by refusing me relief from the burdens of fraud described just previous, is entirely unreasonable, while in full knowing, of the deliberate imposition of detrimental actual and other needlessly undue and nearing irreparable harms done to me, for no legitimate cause nor serving any legitimate purpose. 

CLOSING Thank you for your time and your anticipated consideration to assist me in finally finding a fair and just resolution in this matter, and my long overdue reasonably deserved relief. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation