Consumer complaint received 2024-11-15 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NH

Complaint narrative:
I got a Care Credit Card XXXX Synchrony Bank ) for medical bills. I make several payments each month to clear out the promotional balances well before the expiration date. Each time I make a payment on the phone, I ask for the payment to be allocated to specific promotional balances. However, each time, they XXXX it up. They never apply it correctly and instead apply it to the newest charge that is not even close to expiring. They seem to be doing this on purpose so that I won't notice and get hit with a large interest charge on a {$3000.00} transaction. This is chronic. Here are some sample dates when I made payments and then made follow up calls because they did not apply my payments correctly : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX had a small bill of {$51.00} for veterinary charge. It was under {$200.00} so there was no promotion. I paid this in full on XX/XX/XXXX but it was not applied correctly. I called on XXXX separate occasions to have this payment allocated to the correct charge but they kept misallocating the payment. 

On XX/XX/XXXX - I contacted them again, via online chat and chatted with XXXX XXXX. My payment of {$51.00} was not allocated properly. She said that it can not be reallocated after 60 days. I gave her the history of the charge and payment and conversations. She claimed that she reallocated the payment that night. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I paid {$190.00} to clear out balance on transaction that is due on XX/XX/XXXX. Did this on the phone with agent XXXX. She stated that she allocated the payment directly towards the specific promotion as I had requested. 
Confirmation # XXXX. 

I checked back a few days later and saw that the XXXX was not allocated properly. I had to call back AGAIN to get it fixed. 

XX/XX/XXXX - Spoke with XXXX and paid {$200.00}. I asked it to be applied to the {$830.00} balance ( original transaction amount was {$3000.00} with expiration date of XX/XX/XXXX ). Confirmation # XXXX. 

They did not apply the payment correctly. They instead applied it as a split payment towards XXXX other transactions that were not yet due and were newer transactions. I had to call back again and request the {$200.00} payment be reallocated to the correct balance. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I made payment with XXXX on the phone for {$630.00} to clear out promotion that was expiring in 10 days. She said to check back in XXXX hours to see if updated online. Confirmation # XXXX XX/XX/XXXX - Payment was NOT applied correctly. Care Credit split payment between XXXX promotions incorrectly. I called and spoke with XXXX and she said that she did not see a request for specific allocation. I asked for a supervisor. I was transferred to XXXX an account XXXX. She listened to recording from XX/XX/XXXX call ( all calls are supposedly recorded ). She said that yes, it was clear how I wanted the payment allocated. She said that she put in a new request to reallocate the payment correctly and it will show up in XXXX to XXXX billing cycles. Any interest charged will be waived if I call back within 30 days of expiration date. Since they have GREAT difficulties honoring anything, I made a second payment on the phone with XXXX to clear out the promotional balance so that I would not have to call back again. Confirmation # XXXX. So now the only promotional transaction on the account is a new one for {$470.00} which is not due until XX/XX/XXXX. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I noticed that the {$470.00} transaction now reflects {$510.00} balance. They ADDED {$40.00} to the original transaction. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I called and spoke with XXXX to find out why {$40.00} was ADDED to the original promotional balance for a purchase in XXXX. After about XXXX minutes on the phone while she went back and forth with her " team '' she said it was a mistake and would be corrected immediately and that it would show up in my account within XXXX - XXXX hours. 

XX/XX/XXXX - I called because promise made to me by XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to correct a charge to my account that was incorrect had not yet been done. She had assured me it would be done within XXXX - XXXX hours ( on a recorded line ). It has not been done yet and now I am told XXXX to XXXX billing cycles. They arbitrarily added {$40.00} to a promotional transaction that was made in XXXX and is not due until XXXX. They were supposed to apply a {$40.00} payment but instead, increased the balance due by {$40.00}. I called and asked for supervisor. XXXX said sure. Put me on hold. I waited on hold with music and periodic announcements that an agent will be with me shortly. After XXXX minutes the system stated that the office was closed and disconnected me. I initiated online chat session and asked for supervisor. After XXXX attempts to communicate with a live person, I finally got XXXX. Told her I was upset and asked for supervisor. She said she could help me. I said, NOT, I want a supervisor. She transferred me to XXXX XXXX who took over the chat session. He said the request for correction was initiated on XX/XX/XXXX and will show up in XXXX to XXXX billing cycles. I told him that XXXX assured me it would be there in XXXX XXXX hours. I told him to listen to the phone call. He said he could not do that but would put in another request to have the allocation posted correctly. 

These are just a couple of recent examples of issues with Care Credit. However, this has been chronic and ongoing since XX/XX/XXXX when I made my first purchase. Every time I make a payment, I ask for it to be applied to a specific promotional balance. And EVERY time, it is not done correctly. Each time this happens, I call them and try to get the payment reallocated correctly. Each of these phone calls is about XXXX to XXXX minutes. Over the course of 12 months, I have made XXXX or XXXX payments each month and have had to call them back for all of these payments because each and every time they are not applied correctly to the specific baloance I requested. 

At first, I thought I was just being unlucky and getting an agent that was new or not trained. But after 12 months of this, it really appears to be a pattern of fraudulent behavior. 

I have wasted many many hours dealing with them for the past year. I now believe that Care Credit is acting in bad faith and purposely allocating payments incorrectly so that a customer XXXX not notice and then get stuck with hefty interest charges. I watch this account very carefully because of their dishonest behavior and am now convinced that these misallocations are not an accident. I believe that they are done on purpose and are part of an ongoing fraudulent pattern to rack up interest payments even though the promotional balances are paid off well before the expiration date.

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