Consumer complaint received 2023-06-18 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — CD (Certificate of Deposit)
Issue: Closing an account — Can't close your account
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
This bank has a flawed process of verifying me by a code they send by telephone that existed for the entire year I have been with them. This has made it impossible for me to get my instructions to the bank. They send my landline telephone ( I DO NOT OWN A CELLPHONE and CAN NOT RECEIVE TEXTS ) a code which I have no problem successfully receiving. And then their staff calls me back to have me tell them what it is. But when they call back their phone rings one time only at my home and no one is on the line. Recognizing that to be a problem I called the bank back and was able to speak with the same staff who attempted the calls. She reported to me she received an error message and could not get through. Let me be clear. The code she sent me has no problem arriving. It rang twice before I picked it up. And I successfully received it. So the problem is with the bank 's telephone and not mine. She also confirmed the expiration time of your code was so appallingly short that it did no good for me to give it to her. So both of us were left frustrated. And our time wasted. Furthermore, she told me the bank will not allow verification by email. So their process to verify me is flawed. For it can not be completed. Now I am planning to close all 3 of my CDs and leave the bank for good. Their maturity is upcoming. But I have no faith at all my instructions to them will be followed. I am sending the following letter of instruction to them on Monday XX/XX/XXXX without any information from them they allow written instructions. And owing to the impossibility of getting properly verified can only see a problem. ALL I want are all 3 CDs to close to maturity. 

Sunday, XX/XX/2023 XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, MA XXXX Synchrony Bank XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, Georgia XXXX XXXX Letter of Instruction to close all 3 of my account CDs on their upcoming maturity date Madams and Sirs : This is my letter of instruction to close all 3 of my account CDs on their upcoming maturity date. 

XXXX. XXXX CD 12 months maturity XXXX XXXX. XXXX IRA CD maturity XXXX XXXX. XXXX ROTH IRA CD maturity XXXX Please see to it all XXXX are closed on maturity. 

Secondly, I am advising you of the following issue that is causing serious problems for me in communicating my instructions to you. I have reported this issue multiple times in the past. And for this to continue is NO longer acceptable. Over the past year whenever it has been necessary for your staff to telephone me as happened this past week, a problem arises. When they attempted to verify me by a code they sent, I successfully receive it by telephone. However, when they call my landline back to ask for the code ( for I do NOT OWN A CELLPHONE phone and CAN NOT RECEIVE TEXTS ) their phone rings a single time at my home and no one is there when I pick it up. Recognizing the problem I called Synchrony Bank back and was able to be speak with the same staff member. According to her she received an error message and was unable to speak to me. She also confirmed the expiration time of your code was so appallingly short that it did no good for me to give it to her. So both of us were left frustrated. And our time wasted. Furthermore, she told me the bank will not allow verification by email. So your process to verify me is flawed. For it can not be completed. 

Let me be clear. The code you sent me has no problem arriving. It rang twice before I picked it up. And I successfully received it. So the problem is with your telephone and not mine. My conclusion is that if anything further is required by telephone to close all 3 of my CDs other than this letter of instruction you are making that impossible for me. And you may expect that I will report any violation immediately to an appropriate Banking Commissioner. And I will advise them you have not offered me any way possible for my instructions to be followed by your bank. So follow this Letter of Instructions and close the CDs on their maturity date or expect problems. The issues your bank is causing are no longer tolerable. 

Finally, I request that you immediately verify this by US mail and email that these instructions will be followed. 

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