Consumer complaint received 2026-03-23 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Fees or interest — Charged too much interest
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Complaint against Synchrony Bank and Mattress Firm Deceptive financing terms and undisclosed deferred interest charges I am filing a complaint regarding a mattress purchase I made from Mattress Firm that was financed through a credit account issued by Synchrony Bank ( MySynchrony ). I believe the financing terms were not properly disclosed and were presented in a misleading way during the sales process. I purchased a mattress from Mattress Firm around XX/XX/XXXX ( XXXX XXXX : XXXX ) after seeing advertisements promoting 0 % interest for XXXX years. This same representation was also verbally confirmed by the sales associate during my visit. During the purchase process, the associate controlled the entire transaction on her computer and verbally walked me through the purchase while frequently attempting to upsell me on additional products and add-ons. I was not given a clear explanation of the financing structure, interest terms, or that this was a deferred interest promotion rather than a traditional 0 % financing plan. The credit account I was signed up for was issued by Synchrony Bank, and they are the company that later charged the interest. However, this financing arrangement was presented and explained to me entirely through the Mattress Firm sales process. On XX/XX/XXXX, Synchrony Bank charged {$3200.00} in interest, which shocked me because the interest amount exceeded the remaining principal balance. After returning from an out-of-town emergency, I immediately contacted customer service and was told that the financing was a deferred interest plan. My understanding at the time of purchase was that after the promotional period ended, interest would only apply to the remaining balance going forwardnot that retroactive interest would be applied to the entire original balance. I do not believe this critical distinction was properly explained to me. The interest rate and the deferred interest structure were not clearly disclosed in a way that I reasonably understood during the sales process. After this initial charge, Synchrony also charged additional interest : XX/XX/XXXX : {$140.00} XX/XX/XXXX : {$120.00} This brought the total interest charged to approximately {$3500.00}. I contacted Synchrony customer support and escalated the matter to a XXXX named XXXX XXXX ( conversation reference number XXXX ). I was told that after their investigation there was nothing they could do, and they only offered approximately {$65.00} as a resolution, which I found unreasonable given the amount of interest charged. I also felt pressured during their investigation process because I was told the review could take time, but I could continue to accrue interest during that period and would be responsible for those charges if the decision did not go in my favor. This left me feeling I had no practical option except to pay off the remaining balance immediately to prevent further charges. Had the deferred interest structure been clearly explained, I would never have chosen this financing option and would have instead paid for the mattress outright. I believe the financing terms were presented in a deceptive manner by Mattress Firm during the sale and that Synchrony Bank, as the lender, is responsible for ensuring clear disclosure of financing terms. The risks of deferred interest were not clearly explained to me in a way a reasonable consumer would understand.

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