Consumer complaint received 2026-01-13 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Fees or interest — Problem with fees
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
This complaint supplements CFPB complaint ID XXXX, submitted on XX/XX/XXXX. While that complaint remains under review, Synchrony Bank reissued my Verizon Visa account under a new credit card number, despite the account having been placed on hold and the prior card not set to expire until XX/XX/XXXX. This administrative change has allowed continued fee and interest accrual tied to a canceled Verizon service. 

I opened a Verizon Visa credit card issued by Synchrony Bank more than three years ago as part of a Verizon signup that promoted autopay and paperless billing with bill credits. The card was intended solely to pay Verizon services and was not used for discretionary consumer purchases. 

Over time, our Verizon family plan changed in cost and structure. After paying off phones, all members on the plan disassembled and switched carriers, leaving only my father-in-laws Verizon internet service. I was originally the Verizon account holder, but after the plan changes I lost access to account information and despite extensive calls with Verizon representatives and technical support, access issues were never resolved. 

My father-in-law later switched internet providers but did not immediately cancel Verizon service. As an elderly XXXX veteran living alone, he was unaware of the continued billing. As a result, Verizon service charges accumulated without my knowledge or visibility. Once discovered, my wife and I assisted him in canceling the Verizon internet service, received confirmation of cancellation, and I paid the final Verizon service balance in full, including service-related late charges.

Despite service cancellation and full payment of Verizon charges, late fees and interest continued to accrue on the Synchrony credit card. These penalties were caused by billing design issues, including misalignment between Verizon autopay timing and Synchrony credit card due dates, even when there were no active services and no new purchases. 

At present, the balance on the account consists entirely of late fees and penalty interest, not goods, services, or consumer spending. 

While CFPB complaint ID XXXX is still pending, Synchrony reissued the account under a new card number. This occurred even though the account had been placed on hold and the prior card was not near expiration. I was not requesting a replacement card and did not authorize continued account activity. 

When I contacted Synchrony, multiple representatives stated they could not remove the charges and claimed the account was 7 days in default. However, my records and Synchronys automated phone system stated that the payment due date was XX/XX/XXXX, with a balance of {$46.00}. This discrepancy suggests inaccurate delinquency designation and continued administrative transparency and errors. 

Synchrony representatives confirmed the last account activity was XX/XX/XXXX, with my last payment made XX/XX/XXXX for the full balance at that time. Subsequent late fees and interest were added despite the absence of new charges. Synchrony has refused further adjustments solely because a courtesy reversal occurred within the prior 12 months, even though this matter involves a closed underlying service and fee-only balance caused by billing structure and account administration. 

Additionally, Synchronys automated phone system makes it extremely difficult to reach a representative, repeatedly routing calls through promotional offers and unrelated services before allowing access to account assistance. 

This situation has caused unnecessary financial harm and ongoing stress. I have made repeated good-faith efforts to resolve this directly with Synchrony, but internal policy limitations have prevented resolution despite the absence of any legitimate underlying charges.

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