Consumer complaint received 2026-03-07 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Confusing or misleading advertising about the credit card
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a complaint regarding retroactive deferred interest applied to a Mattress Firm XXXX Synchrony XXXX credit card issued by Synchrony Bank. I purchased a mattress on XX/XX/XXXX under a promotional financing offer described as no interest if paid in full within the promotional period. I made regular payments toward the balance during the promotional period. On my XX/XX/XXXX statement, the remaining promotional balance was {$2300.00} and the statement indicated that the promotional financing would expire on XX/XX/XXXX if the balance was not paid in full. The statement also listed a deferred interest amount of approximately {$3200.00} that would be charged if the promotional balance was not fully paid by the expiration date. XXXX On my XX/XX/XXXX statement, Synchrony Bank added {$3300.00} in interest, increasing my balance from {$2300.00} to {$5600.00}. XXXX XXXX key issue that contributed to this situation is that Synchrony changed its sign-in process and my login credentials during this time ( see attachment ). As a result of this change, the Synchrony mobile app on my phone was silently signed out and no longer connected to my account. Because of this, I stopped receiving push notifications and alerts that I would normally receive through the mobile app regarding account activity and promotional expiration reminders. I was not aware that the app had been logged out due to the sign-in change, and therefore I did not receive the notifications that would normally alert me about important account events such as promotional financing expiration. I have attached a screenshot from XXXX website acknowledging that their sign-in process changed. In addition, my statements were delivered online only, and I did not receive any direct notification ( such as an email or mailed notice ) clearly warning that the promotional period was about to expire and that a large retroactive interest charge would be imposed if the remaining balance was not paid in full. I continued making payments in good faith and did not realize that a large retroactive interest charge would be applied from the original purchase date if any balance remained after the promotional expiration date. After receiving the XXXX statement, I contacted Synchrony Bank customer service to request a courtesy adjustment or review of the deferred interest charge. I was informed that no adjustment would be made because the expiration notice appeared on the statement. Given the sign-in change that caused my mobile app to be logged out and prevented me from receiving normal account notifications, combined with the lack of a clear direct notification about the promotional expiration, I believe the deferred interest charge is unfair and I am requesting that Synchrony Bank review this situation and provide a fair adjustment. I would also note that this promotion involved a very large retroactive financial consequence relative to the remaining balance. When a consumer-facing promotion can result in thousands of dollars of retroactive interest if a deadline is missed, it is reasonable to expect that the lender provide clear and proactive notice of the expiration date through direct communication channels such as email, push notifications, or other alerts. In my case, because the Synchrony sign-in process changed and my mobile app was silently logged out, I did not receive the normal notifications I would typically rely on to monitor account events. Given the size of the retroactive interest charge and the lack of direct notification, I believe this situation warrants a goodwill adjustment or reinstatement of the promotional terms.

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 monetary relief