Consumer complaint received 2025-11-26 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Confusing or misleading advertising or marketing — 
Company: SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
MISLEADING ADVERTISING AND ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT FAILURE - XXXX COMPLAINT AFTER XXXX MONTHS This is my XXXX  complaint about the same unresolved issue. Previous complaints filed against PayPal/XXXX  : XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ), XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ), XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ), and XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ). 

PRIMARY ISSUE : FALSE AND MISLEADING ADVERTISING PayPal/XXXX advertises the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX with specific claims : - " Manage your XXXX XXXX XXXX  right in the app '' - " Check your balance anytime '' - " See transactions and make payments - all in XXXX  '' These advertisements are FALSE and MISLEADING. From approximately XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXp failed to display my credit card balance information despite these advertised features. 

WHAT HAPPENED - DETAILED TIMELINE : XX/XX/XXXX : Approved for XXXX XXXX XXXX Regularly checked the XXXXXXXX XXXX to monitor the account as advertised. 

XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX consistently showed my credit card listing but displayed NO balance, NO payment due date, and NO alerts. The interface appeared frozen or incomplete. I relied on PayPal 's advertising that I could " check my balance anytime '' in the app. 

During this period, I was being charged : - Monthly interest charges exceeding {$220.00} per month - Paper statement fees of {$1.00} monthly - Yet the app displayed NO balance information to alert me to these accumulating charges XX/XX/XXXX : Received fraud alert from credit monitoring service indicating drastic drop in credit score. After hours of investigation, discovered balance of {$9900.00} on my credit card with over {$2600.00} in accumulated interest charges. 

XX/XX/XXXX : For the first time in months, logged into XXXX  XXXX  and it displayed the full balance of {$9900.00}. Prior to this date, the same app on the same device showed the card with no balance information. 

XX/XX/XXXX : IMMEDIATELY paid off entire balance in XXXX payments totaling {$9900.00} ( {$7300.00} and {$2600.00} ) on the same day I discovered it. This demonstrates I would have paid immediately had the app displayed the balance as advertised. I have never carried credit card balances or paid interest in my entire financial history. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Called XXXX  customer support, spent over XXXX hour with XXXX representatives. All dismissed concerns and refused to waive interest charges or acknowledge app failure. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Filed first CFPB complaint ( XXXX ). 

PATTERN OF EVASION ACROSS XXXX PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS : Complaint XXXX ( XXXX, filed XX/XX/XXXX ) : PayPal forwarded XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX responded about billing compliance but did not address app failure. Closed without resolution. 

Complaint XXXX ( XXXX, filed XX/XX/XXXX ) : PayPal 's executive team called and left voicemail promising to email me to gather information for their developers to debug the issue. THE EMAIL NEVER CAME despite this promise being documented in their official CFPB response. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Sent follow-up email to XXXX as instructed in their CFPB response XXXX NO RESPONSE FOR XXXX MONTHS to this date. 

Complaint XXXX ( XXXX, filed XX/XX/XXXX ) : PayPal again deflected to XXXX. PayPal claimed they could not verify the app issue without additional information, despite never sending the promised email to gather that information. XXXX eventually responded claiming they could not confirm app issues. 

Complaint XXXX ( XXXX, filed XX/XX/XXXX ) : Most recent response dated XX/XX/XXXX contains multiple FALSE STATEMENTS including : - Claimed I used a " lesser used email address '' - FALSE, I have only XXXX email associated with this account - Claimed I received paper credit card statements- FALSE, I did not receive paper credit card statements ( only standard XXXX  account summaries ) - Claimed " there are no known app issues with information not displaying payments, balances, etc. '' - FALSE and irrelevant, as XXXX  has no access to PayPal 's app code to investigate - Claimed I registered for paperless billing on XX/XX/XXXX - this date is AFTER I discovered and paid off the balance, supporting my claim that I was not receiving proper statements before that point WHY THIS IS MISLEADING ADVERTISING : PayPal advertised specific account management features. I relied on these advertisements and used the app as my primary method to monitor the account. The app FAILED to display the advertised information for over XXXX months. 

When a company advertises " check your balance anytime '' and the app does not display the balance, that is textbook misleading advertising under Federal Trade Commission Act Section 5 and California Consumer Legal Remedies Act. 

The fact that I paid {$9900.00} in full within hours of discovering the balance proves : XXXX. I had the financial means to pay XXXX. I took immediate action once I had accurate information XXXX. The ONLY reason interest accumulated was the app 's failure to display the balance as advertised XXXX. This was not negligence or intentional non-payment on my part XXXX. The {$2400.00} in interest charges are entirely attributable to PayPal 's misleading advertising and app failure PAYPAL CAN NOT ESCAPE RESPONSIBILITY : In every complaint, PayPal deflects by saying " the credit card is issued by XXXX XXXX. '' However : XXXX. THE XXXX  XXXX  IS OPERATED BY PAYPAL - App Store listing clearly states : published by " PayPal XXXX XXXX '' XXXX. THE ADVERTISING IS CREATED BY PAYPAL - XXXX  website and marketing materials promoting app features XXXX. XXXX  HAS CONFIRMED they do not control the app - XX/XX/XXXX response states : " XXXX Bank, not XXXX, generates both the paper statements and the information displayed in the XXXX XXXX '' and " we were able to confirm that there are no known app issues '' - proving they can not investigate PayPal 's app functionality XXXX. ONLY PAYPAL has access to the XXXX XXXX XXXX code and can investigate display bugs PayPal 's claim that " XXXX generates the information displayed in the XXXX XXXX  '' is misleading. While XXXX may provide XXXX, PayPal 's XXXX XXXX is responsible for DISPLAYING that data to users. If the app fails to display the data, that is PayPal 's failure, not XXXXXXXX XXXX 

Analogy : If a bank provides data to a mobile app, and the app does not display it, users blame the app company - not the bank that sent the data correctly. 

PayPal can not advertise features, profit from customers relying on those features, then disclaim all responsibility when the features fail by pointing to a backend service provider. 

PROOF PROVIDED : XXXX. Screenshot of XX/XX/XXXX XXXX  transaction history showing : XXXX immediate payments totaling {$9900.00} made same day balance was discovered ( {$7300.00} and {$2600.00} ) Previous months ' interest charges that were accumulating without my knowledge ( examples : {$220.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, {$220.00} on XX/XX/XXXX ) Paper statement fees ( {$1.00} ) I was being charged while app showed no balance Prior payment of {$330.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, demonstrating I make payments when I am aware of them This proves I took immediate action once I could see the balance, demonstrating I relied on the app 's display ( or lack thereof ) XXXX. Screenshot : XXXX XXXX showing credit card listing with NO balance displayed ( taken during XXXX XXXX period ) XXXX. Screenshot : Same XXXX  XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX suddenly showing {$9900.00} balance - same device, same account, demonstrating the app malfunction XXXX. Account statements showing total interest charges of {$2400.00} accumulated over the period when app failed to display balance XXXX. XXXX  marketing materials and website screenshots claiming " manage your card in the app '' and " check your balance anytime '' XXXX. All XXXX previous CFPB complaint responses showing pattern of deflection and false statements XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX email to XXXX showing attempted follow-up that was ignored XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX XXXX  response containing false statements about email accounts and paper statements THE FINANCIAL HARM : Interest charges accumulated : {$2400.00} ( documented in account statements over XXXX months ) Credit score impact : High utilization ratio reported to credit bureaus for extended period, causing significant score drop Time spent : XXXX hours on phone calls, emails, complaint preparation, and research Emotional distress : Significant anxiety from unexpected debt discovery, feeling of fraud/identity theft initially, and repeated dismissal by company representatives Had the app displayed my balance as advertised, I would have paid it immediately as demonstrated by my same-day {$9900.00} payment. I have maintained excellent credit throughout my life and always pay balances in full to avoid interest charges. I have never carried such a large balance or accrued interest charges prior to this incident. 

BROKEN PROMISES AND BAD FAITH : PayPal 's executive team specifically promised in Complaint XXXX to email me for information to help their developers debug the issue. This promise was documented in their official CFPB response dated XX/XX/XXXX. The email never came. 

I sent a follow-up email on XX/XX/XXXX to the address they provided ( XXXX ) attempting to provide the information they requested. XXXX months later, I have received NO RESPONSE. 

This broken promise, combined with false statements in the XX/XX/XXXX response ( claiming multiple email accounts I do not have, claiming paper statements I did not receive ), demonstrates a clear pattern of bad faith in handling consumer complaints. 

WHY I AM FILING A XXXX COMPLAINT : After XXXX months and XXXX previous complaints, PayPal has : - Never acknowledged the app failure occurred - Never conducted or reported any technical investigation - Never refunded the interest charges caused by their failure - Made multiple false statements in official responses- Broken documented promises to follow up - Consistently deflected responsibility to XXXX XXXX XXXX Ignored follow-up communications for XXXX months Each complaint has been met with either : XXXX. Deflection to XXXX ( who can not fix PayPal 's app ) XXXX. Promises of follow-up that never materialized XXXX. False statements about my account and communications XXXX. Closure without resolution I am requesting CFPB escalation and enforcement action for this pattern of evasion, false statements in regulatory responses, and refusal to honor commitments made in CFPB responses. 

WHAT I AM REQUESTING : XXXX. PayPal acknowledge that advertising non-functional features constitutes misleading advertising and violates consumer protection laws XXXX. Full refund of {$2400.00} in interest charges directly caused by app failure to display advertised information that would have enabled timely payment XXXX. Compensation of {$5000.00} for documented harm including : XXXX hours spent on calls, emails, and complaint preparation Credit score damage from months of high utilization reporting Emotional distress from fraud concerns and repeated dismissals Opportunity cost and time value XXXX. Written technical explanation from PayPal 's development team about : What caused the display bug When it occurred How many users were affected What steps have been taken to prevent recurrence XXXX. CFPB enforcement action against PayPal for : Pattern of consumer complaint evasion across XXXX complaints False statements in regulatory responses ( email accounts, paper statements ) Broken commitments documented in CFPB responses Misleading advertising under FTC Act Section 5 6. Investigation into whether this app failure affected other XXXX XXXX XXXX users, as this may represent a systemic issue requiring broader remediation 7. Correction of credit bureau reporting to remove negative impact from the period when app failed to display balance information LEGAL VIOLATIONS : - Federal Trade Commission Act Section 5 : Deceptive advertising practices ( advertising features that do not function as advertised ) - California Consumer Legal Remedies Act ( Civil Code 1750 et seq. ) : False advertising and failure to provide advertised services - Truth in Lending Act : Failure to provide accessible and accurate account information - California Unfair Competition Law ( Business and Professions Code 17200 ) : Unfair and deceptive business practices- Negligence : Failure to maintain advertised app functionality - Breach of implied warranty of merchantability : App not fit for advertised purpose PROOF I WOULD HAVE PAID IMMEDIATELY IF APP WORKED : The attached XX/XX/XXXX transaction history proves this was not a case of consumer negligence or unwillingness to pay. Within hours of discovering the balance through my credit monitoring service ( since the XXXX  XXXX  failed to display it despite advertising this feature ), I paid {$9900.00} in full via XXXX transactions. 

The {$2400.00} in interest charges represent money PayPal and XXXX collected solely because PayPal 's app failed to display the information PayPal advertised as " available anytime. '' This is unjust enrichment at consumer expense due to false advertising. 

Prior transaction history shows {$330.00} payment on XX/XX/XXXX, demonstrating I make payments when I am aware of them. The difference is that in XXXX I could see that payment was due ; from XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, the app showed no balance information despite PayPal 's advertising. 

CONCLUSION : I have been a loyal XXXX  user and have maintained excellent credit throughout my life. This situation has caused significant financial harm ( {$2400.00} ), credit damage, and emotional distress- all due to PayPal 's false advertising and subsequent refusal to take responsibility across XXXX complaints over XXXX months. 

PayPal operates the XXXX XXXX PayPal created the misleading advertisements. PayPal profits from the credit card partnership. PayPal promised to investigate and follow up, then failed to do so. PayPal made false statements in regulatory responses. 

PayPal must be held accountable. 

The pattern of evasion, broken promises, and false statements in responses to regulatory complaints represents a serious failure of consumer protection that requires CFPB intervention and enforcement 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 monetary relief