Consumer complaint received 2025-10-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Credit card company forcing arbitration
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
XXXX XXXX XXXX ~ XXXX CFPB Complaint Portal Subject : Formal Complaint Unfair Credit Limit Reductions and Misuse of Account Data by Synchrony Bank To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this formal complaint against Synchrony Bank for repeated, unjustified credit limit reductions and what I believe to be improper use of my account data. Despite locking my credit reports with all major bureaus to protect my financial privacy, Synchrony has continued to monitor my spending habits and take adverse actions against me. 
On XX/XX/year>, Synchrony reduced the credit limit on one of my accounts, causing my utilization rate to spike to 96.95 %. I had made no new purchasesonly payments to reduce my balancesyet this action falsely inflated my credit usage and damaged my credit score.

This same tactic has been applied to five of my Synchrony accounts, each time misrepresenting my financial behavior and penalizing me unfairly. I believe this pattern is deceptive, harmful, and potentially fraudulent. It undermines the purpose of locking my credit and violates my rights as a consumer. 
I have already filed two complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) : Initial complaint : XX/XX/year> Case # XXXX Follow-up appeal : XX/XX/year> Case # XXXX Despite these efforts, Synchrony continues to take me for granted. I pay my bills responsibly, and yet they are actively damaging my credit profile through unjustified actions. I am exhausted by this pattern and demand accountability. 
Synchrony Credit Card Account Summary Active Balances with Credit Limit Reductions 1. XXXX XXXX Credit Card o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$1900.00} o Issue : Credit limit reduced despite no new spending 2. XXXX Credit Card o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$460.00} o Issue : Limit reduced; balance impacted 3. Synchrony XXXX o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$970.00} o Issue : Limit reduced; balance impacted 4. XXXX XXXX Credit Card o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$3200.00} o Issue : High balance ; limit reduction triggered utilization spike 5. Synchrony Car Care o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$230.00} o Issue : Charged during repair period ; limit reduced 6. PayPal Credit Account Ending : XXXX Current Balance : {$2600.00} Issue : Limit reduced ; balance affected Dormant or Paid-Off Accounts with Limit Reductions 1. XXXX Credit Card o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$0.00} o Issue : Dormant ; limit reduced after first use 2. JCPenney Credit Card o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$0.00} o Issue : Paid off ; used occasionally 3. CareCredit o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$0.00} o Issue : Paid off ; used occasionally 4. XXXX XXXX XXXX Credit Card o Account Ending : XXXX o Current Balance : {$0.00} o Issue : Paid off ; used occasionally 5. XXXX Credit Card Account Ending : XXXX Current Balance : {$0.00} Issue : Paid off ; used occasionally Requested Action I respectfully request a formal investigation into Synchrony Banks practices, including : Their justification for accessing and acting on spending data despite locked credit reports The timing and rationale behind multiple credit limit reductions The impact of these actions on my credit score and financial stability I urge your office to hold Synchrony accountable and help restore the integrity of my credit profile. I am available to provide additional documentation or clarification as needed. 
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