Consumer complaint received 2022-04-08
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
Truist Bank took over my mortgage and home equity line that I had with Suntrust. Since the Truist website became active, I could no longer see payments that I had scheduled. " Upcoming '' was empty and " manage payments '' got an error message. I oversheduled payments on the balance for my home equity line out of fear of missing one. So I had two payments of {$400.00} and {$500.00} scheduled for twice a month ( total {$1800.00} each month ). I sent several chat requests over the transition period asking how to see scheduled transactions or at least cancel them. No responses. 

I decided to pay off the home equity line. XX/XX/XXXX, I called for the payoff balance. I scheduled a payment for that and the balance went to zero that day. I asked for technical help in seeing scheduled transactions. I wanted to make sure that no more payments would be made on the zero balance account! They discovered their system had an error and I was transferred again. I spent 1 and 7 min. to be hung up on. Then I spent another 1 hour and 26 min. being transferred. No one could tell me how to manage my payments. I was told that since the balance on the home equity line was zero, no interest would accrue and no other payments would be automatically taken out. Ultimately, I was told that their system showed no account linked to their accounts, despite me having paid that way for years. I attempted to remove my checking account information from their website again. However, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX different payments of {$400.00} and {$500.00} were taken from my checking account. My home equity line balance was - {$900.00}. 
XX/XX/XXXX I paid {$25.00} for a stop payment at my bank. 
XX/XX/XXXX a {$900.00} interest reversal appeared ( home equity line at {$0.00} ) XX/XX/XXXX I called again to ask for the recurring payments to stop and for a refund. XXXX helped and said checks of {$400.00} and {$500.00} would arrive within 7-10 business days. She said the interest reversal had to do with the billing cycle. I did not understand that. 
XX/XX/XXXX a {$900.00} balance appears, as if I was charged {$900.00} to be refunded {$900.00}. Interest accrues. 
XX/XX/XXXX payment reversal for {$400.00} and {$500.00} appears, but it's dated XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX is the XXXX business day. I called to ask if they could confirm the checks had been sent. They said they thought so, and they would check and call me back ( did not call me back ). I asked about the {$900.00} balance. Representative agreed that it appeared I was being charged. She consulted her manageXXXX, who said that would zero out when I deposited my {$400.00} and {$500.00} checks. I also did not understand that. 
XXXX ( XXXX business day ) a {$900.00} check arrives. Notation was XXXX refund. I thought it was strange because I expected XXXX checks, but I ran to the bank and deposited it. 
XXXX {$500.00} check in the mail. 
XXXX {$400.00} check in the mail. 
XXXX I call twice, at XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. and wait for over an hour on hold. What am I supposed to do? It seems like I deposited a check I did not ask for. 
XXXX I call at XXXX XXXX. and am hung up on after an hour. 
XXXX in the afternoon, I get a bill for the {$900.00}. So I was wrong in thinking that I was being billed for the refund - an agent at Truist took out an advance in my name for me. I never, ever requested an advance of {$900.00} on my home equity line. I was given nonsensical answers when I could reach someone to ask. At this point, I am going to deposit the other two checks and payoff the unauthorized {$900.00} plus interest. I can't wait an hour on hold to get hung up on or lied to, although I expect a check in the mail for the refund on the interest for the advance I did not take out. 
My greatest concern is what if this happens to someone else? Truist lies about recurring transactions? They take out advances and charge interest without customer approval? 
Additional information - their chat function is either disabled or gets no responses. I have made an estimated XXXX phone calls ( hours long, including incorrect transfers ) since XXXX. I did file a complaint with the XXXX for the overpayment issue and I got a refund only because I kept insisting. I was never contacted by Truist. They also misdirected XXXX mortgage payments.

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