Consumer complaint received 2017-03-30
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: MD
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
I made {$800.00} worth of charges for goods and services to the website XXXX on XX/XX/2017 using my SunTrust Debit card. The charges were authorized by my bank, SunTrust, and goods and services were rendered. The charges appeared immediately in my account as pending charges, with the proper holds put on the funds. Almost two weeks later, I got a notice by email from my bank saying that my account was overdrawn. I checked my balance, and the account was overdrawn by - {$1100.00} ( including overdraft fees ). I immediately noticed that I had {$800.00} worth of new charges from XXXX, and that they were all processed as " recurring '' charges on the dates of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, causing my account to overdraw. I filed a fraud dispute with Sun Trust, as I did not authorize any new payments to XXXX. In the meantime, after examining my transaction history, I realized that that these charges were the SAME charges that were pending almost two weeks prior ( with PLENTY of money in my account to cover the charges ), and that for some reason they were not completed - they simply disappeared. Therefore, almost two weeks later, XXXX reattempted the charges ( under a different guise ; " reoccurring check card purchase '' ), and my bank immediately processed them. I spoke with a fraud representative named XXXX today, XX/XX/XXXX. He asked for a statement, and I simply told him that I did not authorize any new charges and that I did not authorize a " recurring payment '' to XXXX. He then mentioned that it appears that these charges were attempted on XX/XX/XXXX ( as I had discovered myself in the course of the investigation ), and that I had authorized them by " implied consent '', making them valid transactions. I immediately asked him why the initial charges were authorized - with pending holds on my funds- yet were not completed. I also asked him why the charges were then authorized again without my consent, overdrawing my account, and costing me {$360.00}. I told XXXX, that if I do indeed still owe XXXX {$800.00}, then that is fine with me ; I pay my debts ; I am not trying to take advantage of anyone. However, this is not the job of SunTrust and this still does not explain why these charges were not processed until a second attempt was made, and after I no longer had the funds available to cover them. Furthermore, I had DECLINED overdrafts on my account to be processed at the time Sun Trust fraudulently authorized these charges when it was convenient for them to collect {$360.00} from me in overdraft fees. I told XXXX that Sun Trust has no authority to act as a collection agent for XXXX, especially when I have not allowed overdrafts on my account, especially when they charges were authorized almost two weeks before, and ESPECIALLY when bank error is the reason that they were not approved. I told him that although I strongly disapprove of their nefarious and illegal methods of obtaining the funds, I find it even more fraudulent and illegal that they would try to collect overdraft fees from me when it was their mistake that the charges were not processed initially. I then told XXXX that I want my overdraft fees back at the bare minimum. In short, he told me that he could not help me, and only my local branch could reverse the overdrafts. I went to the branch immediately, and they pointed the finger back at XXXX/Fraud Department saying that they are the only ones who can help me. Nobody at Sun Trust wants to take responsibility for what happened and are blaming me. I have documented evidence backing up every statement within this complaint. I do not feel that ANY of these charges are legitimate charges.

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