Consumer complaint received 2019-06-27
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Fees charged for closing account

Complaint:
I received a promotion offer from Chase in early XXXX ( The offer is explicitly addressed to me ). The offer is to give me {$300.00} for opening a saving account. I brought this coupon to the bank around the end of XXXX. The bank honored the coupon and I opened the account. Sometime in XXXX, I called the Chase customer service regarding this saving account, and was told I could keep this {$300.00} opening bonus even if I closed the account that day as I already kept the balance of {$25000.00} for 90 days. However my account can not be closed via phone, instead he suggested me visit the local branch. On XX/XX/XXXX, I went to local branch ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX, FL ) and expressed my intention to possibly close account, as the previous communication with the telephone banker indicated I would not lose the {$300.00} opening bonus. After we sat down, the banker from the branch closed my account right way without confirming with me. Before she closed my account, she already knew that closing the account would cost me {$300.00}, but she still proceeded without even telling me. She said I needed to keep the account open for 6 months or the opening bonus would be forfeited, which was not mentioned during my prior communication with telephone banker or by her before she closed my account. I requested her to reverse the closure immediately, but she refused, coldly. I asked to talk to the manager, but disappointingly the manager behaved the same : did not show care to his customer, but instead acting like a victor for robbing money from me. They even asked me for my signature, but I rejected as clearly closing the account was not what I wanted to do. 

I stepped out the branch and called the other Chase branch ( XXXX XXXX, XXXX, FL ) where my dedicated Chase Private Client ( CPC ) banker works. I talked to the manager of the branch, as the CPC banker I worked with was out of office that day, and she agreed to re-open the account for me if I could meet her in the branch. I got there shortly, and met her delegate. Her delegate told me that she was able to re-open my account, and I should be able to see the {$300.00} back to my account in a few days. 

Couple days after I still did not see the money back and called Chase again to submit a complaint. After that I received a call from escalation team blaming me for using coupons before and as a result they refused to credit me back. Also I was told that my account was not ever re-opened, which contradicted with what I was told on XX/XX/19 in the second branch ( XXXX XXXX  branch ). 

Now I am really concerned with banking with Chase. It is Chase who sent me the coupon to lure me to open the account and it is Chase who agreed to honor the coupon when I initially open the account. And now I am blamed and penalized for using the coupon. To me, it is nothing but cheating. Bank has right to pick its customer, and I, as a customer, have right to decide where to bank. If Chase does have the hidden rule of allowing only one-time use of coupon, it should either not send to the customer who has used the coupon before, or at least not honor the coupon at the time the account is opened. Unfortunately what Chase did was to promise everything when they want your deposit, and recklessly take it away when time comes out. 

Besides, I have the long-term belief that a good banker would help customer to make the right decision, however now my belief totally collapsed thanks to Chase.The banker I experienced with the other day was apparently doing the opposite : she clearly knew that closing the account is not in the best of my interest, but she intentionally hid the information and made the bad decision on my behalf without my consent. In the following conversation she made up the story and insisted that it was I who requested to close the account, but clearly it does not make any sense. If I did want to close the account, why would I go to the second branch on a hot summer day asking to re-open it? It does not make any sense, using anyone 's common sense. 

Also the information Chase provided is not consistent and I feel hard to trust any of them. On one hand, I was asked to go to a local branch on a hot summer day and told that my account was successfully re-opened. On the other hand, I was told my account was never re-opened. It makes me really confusing as if they just want to play with me. 

I have been with chase for over 10 years, and use Chase to manage most of my financial needs. I once had confidence with Chase and decided to move all my money to Chase, and that is why I upgrade to Chase Private Client. However now their deceptive practice totally ruined my trust with Chase. I understand and agree that bank is doing business for profit, but stealing money from its customer is by no means acceptable. I do not want to say this, but the resolution of this issue would help me to decide whether to move all my money into or out of Chase.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation