Consumer complaint received 2026-03-22 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with customer service
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: ID

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding a series of failures by Synchrony Bank that resulted in loss of account functionality, repeated disruption of service, and potential financial and credit harm despite my long-standing history as a responsible customer. I have been a Synchrony customer for over XXXX years and have used the XXXX XXXX credit card for several years without issue. I consistently monitor my accounts and always pay my statement balance in full. I have never missed a payment. This issue began when I logged into my account and received a message prompting me to activate a new card, even though my current card does not expire for nearly XXXX years. Out of caution, I contacted customer service via chat to confirm whether this was an error. During that interaction, I was informed that the card I had been actively using for approximately XXXX years did not match what was in XXXX system. No explanation was provided for how this discrepancy occurred. Rather than investigating, the representative immediately canceled my active card, marked it as lost, and issued a replacement. This action created immediate and avoidable disruption. My XXXX autopay is tied to this card, and a payment was scheduled before a replacement card could reasonably arrive. Despite explaining this, no interim solution was offered. When the replacement card arrived, it could not be activated. I contacted customer service again and was told that this card had also been marked as lost, and that another replacement card had already been issued. At this point, I had no functioning card, an autopay at risk of failing, and a payment due. Additionally, because the card had been marked as lost, my online account access was revoked. While I understand payments can be made via phone, removing online access created unnecessary barriers and confusion during an issue entirely caused by XXXX internal actions. I escalated the issue multiple times. Each level of escalation resulted in further complications rather than resolution. A supervisor was unable to provide clarity. When I was finally contacted by a corporate representative, the situation worsened further. While attempting to resolve the issue, she ordered yet another replacement card ( which I assume canceled the one in transit and wont be able to activated [ again ] once it arrives ) As a result, I have now been instructed to destroy my original card, which was never lost or compromised, destroy the first replacement card, destroy the next replacement card upon arrival, and wait for a fourth card in hopes that it will function properly. It is critical to emphasize that I had XXXX issues with my original card. It was not lost, stolen, damaged, or compromised in any way. I contacted Synchrony solely because I was concerned about an unexpected system message. This entire situation originated from a routine customer inquiry, not from any fault or risk associated with my account. This matter raises several serious concerns : Internal control failure : A card used successfully for years should not not match system records without explanation. Improper account handling : A basic inquiry resulted in immediate cancellation and classification of a valid card as lost without investigation. System/process breakdown : Multiple cards, including those in transit, were repeatedly marked as lost, compounding the issue. Access restrictions : Online account access was removed unnecessarily while replacement cards were still in transit. Lack of standard industry solutions : Synchrony does not provide temporary digital card numbers or allow immediate addition to a digital wallet, both of which are commonly offered by other issuers and would have prevented significant disruption. Additionally, Synchrony has been unable to provide a clear explanation for these events, has refused to expedite replacement cards despite the issue being entirely internal. I am requesting that Synchrony Bank : Implement improved internal controls and employee training to prevent similar incidents, particularly regarding unnecessary card cancellations and lost designations Due to this experience, Synchrony has lost a long-standing customer. Additionally, XXXX XXXX will also lose a customer as a direct result, as the value of this card was tied to XXXX rewards and I no longer have confidence in continuing the relationship. This situation reflects a significant breakdown in both internal controls and customer service processes and warrants corrective action.

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