Consumer complaint received 2023-03-09
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: NV
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
On XX/XX/ my checking account at US Bank was frozen. 

I did not know this until Friday XX/XX/XXXX when I tried to use my card and it was declined. After it was declined I looked at the US Bank app on my phone and it showed there was {$1000.00} in the account. The {$50.00} of gas I was trying to buy should have been more than covered. 

I had opened this new account on XX/XX/XXXX right after I had moved to XXXX XXXX. When I was opening the account I was telling the guy helping me that XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, I was getting on a plane to go see family in Alabama. The guy helping me open the account showed me how to go into the banking app and schedule me being out of town and where I would be so the system wouldn't be triggered by out of town purchases. All that got set up and I went out of town. 

I made purchases with the new card and things went smooth until my card was declined on XX/XX/XXXX. That morning, as I was 5 states away from the branch I had opened the account at, I called customer service to ask why my card wasn't working. I was told they needed proof of my new address because my driver 's license and address I had put on the account didn't match. The customer service person on the phone said I needed to physically bring the bank a piece of mail with my new address printed on it. I explained that I was 5 states away and not able to get to my mailbox and provide that until I got home. They would not work with me and the lady on the phone said the department putting the freeze on it didn't have anyone 's name attached to it or a phone number she could call or give me to call. Just an email address. Nobody local had any power over this. 

My plane landed in XXXX XXXX on the evening of XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I took my mail in there so they could see it. At this point I just wanted my money out and to close the account. The person who helped me sorted through the mail and said only one piece was usable because the other pieces had been forwarded to the address. He scanned and uploaded the piece of mail that worked and then told me it would be 48 hours before I could get my money.

I moved to XXXX XXXX from XXXX, XXXX and had one last carload of stuff left to get from XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXXXX/XX/XXXX drove down to XXXX to get it from my friend 's house. I spent the night with my friend and the morning of XX/XX/XXXX I walked into the local US Bank in XXXX and tried to get my money out and close the account since 48 hours has now passed. I was told they couldn't give me my money and the account was still frozen pending proof of address verification. I told them I had turned everything in to the branch in XXXX XXXX two days earlier on Tuesday. All I want at this point is to get my money and close the account.

The US Bank branch in XXXX was unable to release my funds because of this hold for address verification. I didn't have my mail with me because people normally don't travel with mail to prove their address. US Bank was fine with me for two weeks banking and using my card without this address proof but now that I have provided it they are still holding my funds. 

I left the XXXX branch an hour ago still without access to my money. Moving is expensive and stressful without a bank acting this way. I want my money and my account to be closed. US Bank 's behavior is dangerous and falls into the category of harassment and is probably illegal.

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