Consumer complaint received 2025-10-11 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CT

Complaint narrative:
My complaint is addressed to an insidious combination of the worst kind : XXXX XXXX and Synchrony Bank. They fit together like a glove, trapping needy people into getting into debt when they are very vulnerable. 

In my case, after much ( and expensive ) work on the upper teeth, it became apparent that I needed an implant. I went to XXXX on XX/XX/year> ( Exh ) for a preliminary visit and again on XX/XX/XXXX, in essence, for their financial analysis. 

I need to stress here my perspective then versus theirs. My teeth were a mess, and I felt it was urgent to deal with this situation. In retrospect, it's clear that their perspective was to hook me in and squeeze me and my wife ( see below ) for as much money as they could, for their benefit and for Synchrony Bank 's benefit. 

So after a perfunctory physical examination, I was introduced to the 'financial advisor ', XXXX XXXX XXXX who assured my wife and me that the implant work would be affordable. At that time, I was working as a freelance lawyer, picking up document review assignments, and my wife was unemployed. We provided XXXX XXXX with our financial information. We had no assets, and our sole income came from what I earned through the assignments. 

It was weird : she disappeared, and then came back with a financial 'plan '. We told her that monthly payments were untenable ; she looked concerned and then disappeared again. Again, the monthly payments were just too high. She looked concerned, then disappeared again, only to return with another financial plan. I can't overstress that our focus was medical -- we weren't ignoring the financial issue, but simply wanted to figure out a way to afford the necessary dental work. This must be true of * everyone * who goes there for implants. 

I don't want to dwell on this, but her third repayment schedule seemed sustainable, although it would be tight. The plan contemplated a schedule which would be ideally repaid in a year, since they emphasized that it would be necessary to get a 'permanent ' implant made from zirconium. Until then, I could only eat soft foods, foods that could be 'cut with a plastic knife '. But this would be no problem : if the loan wasn't paid off, it could be stretched out and included in the new payments for the new implant. XXXX XXXX was reassuring. 

But when she finally gave us a piece of paper reflecting the loan, it was almost incomprehensible, at least then. ( Exh. ) As we were leaving, the strangest thing happened : I went to the reception desk and asked the receptionist if I could see the repayment plan again. She refused, I asked her why, and instead offered me a handwritten scrap of paper that was even more incomprehensible -- it just contained XXXX or XXXX numbers. I guess both my wife and I were relying on the appearances in that office -- professional, expensive furniture, etcetera. We left feeling troubled, but at least relieved that I would get the necessary dental work. 

Over time, the monthly payments were crushing us ; we simply could not meet the payments. This led to the second nightmare, dealing with Synchrony Bank. 

We tried many, many times to reach someone about a modified repayment plan. Finally, we reached someone who sounded more like a consultant than a representative of the Bank, but he told us that we could write to the Bank ( he gave a ] us an address ) for a rescheduling. We asked him * who * should make the request since both of us were listed on the loan ( to this day, I don't know why my wife was contractually bound on the loan ), and he told us that it didn't matter -- hopefully, the bank wouldn't really notice who specifically was on the loan. 

We decided that my wife would submit the request, since she was listed as the main borrower ( {$12000.00} vs my {$2000.00} ). And of course, the request was denied. We followed the steps for an appeal, and of course, it was denied again. 

The only thing left to us was for me to file a request, which was granted. But when we received the papers, in addition to my name, it showed XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as the other borrower. This suggested to me that XXXX XXXX, with the active connivance of the Bank, falsely recorded the loan as to XXXX separate people, the other being a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX '' with no assets or income to evaluate, and a name that would be impossible to track down. 

Even with the repayment plan, we are being badly squeezed by these payments. And the wonderful XXXX, the permanent implant, which would allow me to eat regular food, is a dream. This is our complaint.

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