Consumer complaint received 2022-11-10
Company: SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION
State: FL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Non-sufficient funds and associated fees

Complaint:
San Diego County Credit Union ( SDCCU ) " charged off '' our account at {$120.00}, and did not notify us. We have sent several certified letters and had a dozen phone calls with them defending our case.. to no avail. 

What is especially notable here is that : 1. They lost our first dispute letter to them in XX/XX/XXXX 2. They refused our 2nd letter in XX/XX/XXXX ( sending it back to us unopened ) 3. They have on record returned mail from us, proving we never received any written communication from them regarding a charge off. 
4. Our 3rd dispute ( sent certified mail ) was recorded as delivered in XX/XX/XXXX, and after almost 2 months, they have not responded to us, as they verbally promised and are legally bound to uphold a 30-day turn-around for all despite responses. 
5. between the 1st and 2nd dispute, we worked with our credit repair agency because the reportings were false, and we assumed they would be easily deleted. 

More Explanation : In XXXX, during the height of the pandemic, we lost work, and decided to consolidate our resources and invest in creating a better financial future for ourselves. This resulted in making agreements with creditors to pay off accounts, making lower payments on our mortgage and hiring a credit repair agency to help us with any outstanding debts and wrongfully reported accounts. We became very serious about creating a solid future for our family, and it seemed to be working. 

However, we were living in a very small condo at the time, and the health-risk of covid in our neighborhood, and in such close proximity to neighbors was a definite threat. So, we made the decision to travel to Florida and rent a farm house for our health, safety, and to have peace of mind and build income for our family. 

We had all of our mail forwarded to us at this time. We continued to work with our credit repair agency and pay off any old debts, and clear up any wrongful reportings. We stopped using SDCCU, as we were not local, and they really make communications difficult. They don't even help with online banking over the phone. We left a little bit of money in that account ( just in case ). And, we did not close the account because we didn't know if we would be back in XXXX XXXX. 

Note : Since our mail was forwarded, and we were just renting am airbnb, there would be no need to change our address with SDCCU. We received our mail every other week from the mail service that we used. There were several pieces of banking mail that we never did receive, including a credit card that we ordered. this particular credit card did have fraudulent charges because someone intercepted it. WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA THAT SDCCU HAD SEBT US ANY MAIL, AND WE NOW ASSUME IT WAS RETURNED TO THEM BECAUSE UPON SPEAKING TO THEM, THAT WAS VERIFIED. DURING OUR STAY IN FLORIDA, WE ALSO GOT LOCKED OUT OF OUR ONLINE BANKING ACCOUNT AND ATTEMPTED TO RECEVE HELP LOGGIN IN OVER THE PHONE TO NO AVAIL. 

There were multiple times during this situation with SDCCU when they could have made good with our accounts and completely remedied the situation prior to reporting us as a charge-off. 

1. They could have called, emailed or texted.. Because they have those forms of communication for both of us, and we continue to receive electronic communications from them 2. They could have admitted that their returned mail indicated we did not receive their US postal service communication 3. They could have acknowledged our dispute and considered all of the details of our case 4. They could have been within the legal timeframe of responding ... in fact, they could have responded in the first place. 

This incorrect mark on our credit reports is preventing very necessary career advancement and funding for housing. It is unjust and a complete mistake on so many levels. 

We only found out about this mistake through our credit repair/ monitoring company. We have never had a charge-off our mark like this on our credit without being warned. There have always been phone calls. In fact, our other banking institutions send texts whenever they suspect wrongful activity or if the account gets to zero. 

Here are dates and details : XX/XX/XXXX : ( This is the day we discovered the problem ). Spoke with XXXX in " credit disputes department at SDCCU. '' she told us exactly how to write a dispute, and we completed and mailed the dispute. 

( long wait... working through credit repair agency, XXXX : Spoke with XXXX and XXXX, XXXX for 3+ hours asking him to investigate what ever happened to our first dispute.. he would not find our original calls or letter, and told me that it was never possible to speak with someone in the Credit Dispute department XXXX We concluded that for whatever reason, we were lied to on our XXXX call. XXXX told me that SDCCU had on our record that they had retuned mail from us. This made me confident that our case was clean, and clear because they could see that we were never informed. 

XXXX : Spoke with XXXX again to ask what else we could do to remedy this, and was told that they would look favorably on us if we paid the {$120.00} and to send Certified mail. We sent certified mail which was denied by them and sent back to us.. we received it weeks later XXXX : For good measure, we sent another certified letter that day. making 2 in 2 days. 

XXXX : We had a local friend in XXXX XXXX pay our bill in cash for us at the location. 

XX/XX/XXXX : our mail was recorded as delivered to SDCCU XX/XX/XXXX : Spoke with XXXX and XXXX and was told that the mail had not yet been picked up by anyone at the bank. No one had seen or opened it. 

XX/XX/XXXX : Spoke with XXXX and XXXX who said there was still no info on the dispute letter they received 7 days prior. XXXX could not answer why we were not emailed, called or texted regarding our alleged charge-off before it became a problem, and that she would email me that day with more info on that. 

XX/XX/XXXX : XXXX, an assistant manager called, claiming that he really wanted to help us with this situation, and that if we could repeat our story he would personally go to the department and make sure it was taken care of fairly. XXXX also said we should have been notified electronically regarding this problem prior to it becoming a problem. XXXX acted like he cared, and assured me that this would be taken care off in the XXXX time period, and implied he would call back and/or personally help. 

XX/XX/XXXX Spoke with XXXX who assured us that they were working on it. 

After this we ended our agreement with the credit repair agency, and learned how to speak on our own behalf, sending accurate disputes to the credit repair agencies. While SDCCU has failed to inform or communicate with us once again as per their investigation or findings, they " apparently ' " verified '' it with the credit bureaus. Once again, completely removing the " community '' principles on which their business is allegedly built. Not to mention they going against proper laws on credit reporting. 

We have gone over and above to communicate clearly with them and explain our situation, defending that we are in the right. They have ignored truth, lacked communication and created a credit trap for us that is so extremely detrimental to our family ... over {$120.00}?? All during a pandemic? When we have evidence that we were working on our credit, paying off bills and being very mindful of our financial relationships. When we clearly had spurt mail forwarded, and they clearly have returned mail from us. This would have never occurred had we received communication from them in the first place We are attaching : a receipt for credit repair notarized agreement for forwarded mail ( 3 attachments here ) photos of a returned mail from SDCCU our first dispute from XX/XX/XXXX our second dispute letters from XX/XX/XXXX 6

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation