Consumer complaint received 2021-11-23
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Opening an account
Sub-issue: Confusing or missing disclosures

Complaint:
I had BBVA accounts that converted to PNC accounts on XX/XX/2021. As per PNCs terms and conditions I called PNC attempting to to opt-out of all arbitration agreements for both of my accounts as is my right to do so so within XXXX days of opening the account. Since I opened account with BBVA long before PNCs purchase of the bank was finalised the opening date reasonably would be the transfer date of XX/XX/2021. Since that would make the deadline for this XX/XX/2021 and since I am overseas I began calling PNC in earnest to opt-out starting from XX/XX/2021. The opt-out notice clearly states it is permissible to do this via phone and via mail. But PNC has listed the incorrect phone number for this on all of their disclosure notices online and in print, and on their website and on the app. I called XXXX times and no one seems to be very clear on the proper process for doing this. Perhaps this is how they intended it to but I will give them the benefit of the doubt or so I thought. 

On XX/XX/2021 I called yet again and was on hold once again trying to opt-out. PNC has listed the incorrect number to opt-out on in every single notice. And they are confusing and even worse their customer service operators have no idea what to do when queried about this. When one calls the only number listed on the notices to opt-out which is XXXX XXXX is given another number XXXX to call that is a number for credit cards, at which point they then tell you to call a third number to opt-out XXXX, after which someone transfers the call to a fourth number, who then tells you after a XXXX minute wait that one can only opt-out by mail, clearly contravening the terms of the disclosure notice that very clearly state that one can opt-out by telephone. They also say that it has to be done XXXX  days from when I opened the BBVA account, which would be difficult to do since when I opened the account BBVA was not yet a part of PNC! Any reasonable legal counsel would know this is wrong, and really the XXXX days should start from the date I transferred the account to PNC, the equivalent of the date I opened my account with PNC. This makes me fully within the XXXX day time limit. This banks blatant obfuscation would be malicious if PNC were competent but PNC is anything but competent as this runaround shows. But I am now wondering if PNC is just perhaps acting in bad faith. After spending XXXX hrs being shuffled around PNC, the bank seemingly does not know what to do at all This has now caused me to be delayed in doing this for XXXX days. I asked for a fax number I was refused. I was finally hung up on. PNC can not disclose legal opt-out notices, change terms on the fly when it suits them, send incorrect notices with the wrong number everywhere and then try to change the terms after publicising incorrect information multiple times during a single phone call. I am filing this complaint with regulators as I believe this is a serious breach of their terms and conditions and legal duty to disclose information properly. All calls were recorded I would urge regulators to monitor those calls to see just what a baffling experience this was with an ever so incompetent bank.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation