Consumer complaint received 2025-10-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Advertising and marketing, including promotional offers — Didn't receive advertised or promotional terms
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: NE

Complaint narrative:
Synchrony Bank VICTIMIZES vulnerable consumers and public. 
I am a XXXX XXXX consumer living on a fixed Social Security income of {$950.00} a month. I do not have savings, an IRA, CDs, XXXX insurance or any additional credit cards due to a tight budget, limited monetary resources and level-headed good sense. I needed emergency dental care on XX/XX/XXXX, and had no way to pay for it. During my vulnerability and unbearable pain and discomfort I was misinformed and lured into a discernible payment option that engages in unscrupulous, deceptive, Bait and Switch as well as illegal XXXX marketing practices which I was not made aware of. 
The Dental medical practice presented me with a Synchrony Bank Deferred Interest Promotion Care Credit Card which Id never heard of or was familiar with. The practice representative explained to me that the Care Credit Card is a deferred interest promotion offer that accrues interest on the account from the purchase date ( XXXX ) ; but is ONLY CHARGED if I do not pay off the promotional balance ( {$1400.00} ) within the defined XXXX promotional period that was conducive to my income and monthly budget. I was told I could pay more than the designated monthly payment amount if I had the ability to do so. This promotional financing offer is typically advertised as special financing, promotional financing or NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL WITHIN 18 MONTHS as designated IN THE PROMOTIONAL CONTRACT. These are the conditions explained to me on XX/XX/XXXX. These are contractual conditions and obligations I was of the belief were to be honored by both parties. I have recently discovered Synchrony Bank seizes an opportunity to injure unsuspecting forthright good intention consumers deliberately. Once I agreed to the terms, I began to see interest charges in less than 3 months ( XXXX ) of having the Care Credit card and making payments in the total amount due on time. The balance jumped up to {$2400.00} which is unconscionable. I was confused because I was paying over the fixed payment amount and was not seeing a difference in the balance due to what I discovered was astronomical interest fees. I have not charged anything beyond the initial purchase amount. I was of the belief that the dental office was working within the {$1400.00} purchase amount. XXXX not aware of any additional charges beyond that because I do not make purchases on the XXXX Credit card or have charged anything beyond the initial purchase amount. Once the dental treatments were completed in XX/XX/XXXX, the card was put in a place of safekeeping. Upon inspecting XXXXXXXX XXXX monthly statements, I realized Ive been accessed and charged astronomical interest rates immediately upon opening the XXXX Credit Card. Synchrony Bank deliberately changed the dynamic of the contractually defined XXXX deferred interest fee. By doing so Synchrony Bank is in breach of contract and in violating of the contractual obligations set forth by them as a health care financial option. To date, I have honored XXXX Credits contractual obligations under the XXXX deferred interest promotional offer. Furthermore, on XX/XX/XXXX, after discovering the interest fee discrepancy I contacted Synchrony Bank ( by phone ) and shared my concerns, confusion and shock regarding interest charges incurred on an XXXX deferred XXXX promotional contract I entered in good faith. I requested an explanation ( from Synchrony Bank representative XXXX XXXX as to why and how this was occurring. She said she was sorry I was experiencing the change. She recommended I send a letter to XXXX Credit customer service explaining my concerns in writing. She stated that a committee would read over the letter and decide what options were available moving forward. XXXX provided me with a mailing address. I did not get the chance to send the letter because a letter from Synchrony Bank dated XX/XX/XXXX, arrived at my home in less than XXXX hours after the telephone conversation. The letter engages in victim blaming by informing me that Synchrony Bank is refusing to accommodate my concerns regarding the 19.99 % interest rate theyve been charging me monthly because the promotional terms on my purchase amount were made over XXXX months ago and I needed to report the concern within that time frame. This explanation does not support their position because the contractual obligation entered was for deferred interest rates during the XXXX promotional financing offer which they are legally bound to provide under law. If they honored their contractual agreement, there would be no need for me to become suspicious of deceptive practices within a XXXX time frame. It isnt my duty to police Synchrony Banks deceptive business practices they shouldnt be engaging in in the first place. Theyve just paid out on a XXXX XXXX XXXX lawsuit for engaging in the same unscrupulous deceptive practices XXXX experiencing. They know better. If Synchrony Bank choose to dismiss the law and adopt their own agenda ( which appears to be the case ), then Synchrony Bank has breached the covenant of good faith and fair dealing by inserting illegal and unlawful interest rates into their XXXX  Credit card agreements as well as violating the Nebraska XXXX laws for a maximum of 16 %. I'm shouldn't be paying interest rates before the XXXX contractual obligation has been fulfilled. Under this circumstance and the willingness of Synchrony Bank to continue engaging in deceptive business practices speaks volumes about lessons they still havent learned from paying out large sums of money in Class Action Lawsuits filed for the same reasons I'm complaining about. Ive appealed to Synchrony Bank to reconsider their breach of contract and unethical charges of interest rates which they blatantly refuse to consider in writing. 

I have no other alternative but to file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) to address my efforts and concerns to communicate with Synchrony Bank in a fair, reasonable good faith manner that could provide an amicable outcome for all parties involved. Therefore, XXXX asking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) to recognize and consider the practice and history of ongoing deceptive, unjust enrichment and unconscionable provisions Synchrony Bank unlawfully interjects into agreements as outlined in a Synchrony Bank Class Action Lawsuit filed XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX being victimized in the same exact manner that other consumers have suffered before me. In the recent Class Action Lawsuit against Synchrony Bank Case No. No. XXXX. Filed XX/XX/XXXX. Synchrony Bank XXXX reached a settlement amount of XXXX XXXX regarding Care Credit XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX that reflects a calculated judgment that charging loans above certain rates exploits vulnerable people and injures the public. 

Furthermore, I would like to thank the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) for providing consumers with XXXX XXXX of mediation and a regulatory genre to hold banks and financial institutions accountable for misrepresentation, fraud and other egregious acts of greed. Attached are documents to support my position in this matter. Thank you for allowing me XXXX XXXX of resolution. At no time am I agreeing to Synchrony Bank to contact me outside of the mediation process of the CFPB. I do not wish to receive harassing phone calls based on my right to file a complaint with the CFPB in this matter.

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