Consumer complaint received 2019-01-28
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: GA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Fee problem

Complaint:
Hello CFPB, I am writing to complain US Bank about the way they treated their customers and would like to dispute the monthly maintenance fee charged on my account since XX/XX/XXXX. The branch involved in these activities is the XXXX XXXX, XXXX, Iowa. 

My name is XXXX XXXX, and I am banking with US Bank since XX/XX/XXXX. My checking account number is XXXX. I opened this account with XXXX XXXX XXXX, which was at that time a no fee account as a courtesy for low-income students. In XX/XX/XXXX, I went to the branch to close this account because I was moving to XXXX, a place where there is not any US bank branch. At that time, I was persuaded to keep this account and the banker guaranteed me that this account would not charge me fees. I updated my phone number and also forwarded all my mails in Iowa address to my XXXX address before I left. With many years relationship with US bank, I have been trusting this account and has multiple money in/out activities even till now. 

Recently, while I logged into to my account, I am surprised to find that US bank started to charge me fees since XX/XX/XXXX. I called Customer Service and was told that this was because my account was Gold status. US bank charged me fees because my credit card was closed. The assistant refunded me 3 months fee and said she could not do any more. 

I kept calling US bank because I think my credit card was closed involuntarily without any notice. This caused adverse action on my checking/saving account, which was not disclosed to me by any means ( mail or phone call or text, nor was it in my account message inbox ). I requested that they should have noticed me because this negatively impact my checking account. 

However, after four phone calls when I finally got a chance to talk to the branch XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX # XXXX ), She kept blaming that it was my fault not monitoring my account frequently. She blamed me for not using my credit card to avoid it being closed. She also said it was more than fair to issue 3 refunds to me already. While in the phone she was defending, I felt she exaggerated her statement like saying, " why you waited 7 months and now called, '' " Help me understand why you felt unfair even we have already refunded you the full fees '', etc. During the phone, I told her that her statement was not correct. Currently while writing this complaint, I figured out that I noticed this issue on XX/XX/XXXX and it had been only 4 months. 

The thing is, although I understand and agree that customers should take care of their accounts, I disagree that it was totally my fault. I told her that I do receive all mails from US bank, however all are related to mail campaigns, none of them related to my credit card close & checking account change notice. If adverse actions is taken on the customers, the customers should have the right to at least get disclosed and to consent. I neglected the negative actions that US bank had taken on me and simply kept my US bank accounts open with limited attention. 

In the end, I requested to talk to XXXX 's XXXX, but she said she is the manger with slight laugh I could hear from my phone. Her tone was very unfriendly during the call and kept fighting with me and blaming me. She finally gave the supervisor 's name : XXXX XXXX. 

I would like to request a full refund of all fees ( additional 2 months that XXXX refused to refund ) that I was unaware of since last XX/XX/XXXX. The fees were charged under the circumstance of neither customer 's action/change on accounts, nor consent, nor request, nor disclosure or notice. I feel it was kind of taking advantage of ignorance of customers. My another request is to file a complaint about how US bank treats customers. The conversation between XXXX and me made me feel that I was unreasonably treated.

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