Consumer complaint received 2022-05-04
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: CA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Conventional home mortgage
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
I am writing to dispute Truist Bank 's refusal to remove an unwarranted late payment for XX/XX/2022 to my Truist mortgage ending in XXXX from my credit report with XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. As you are aware, these late charges occurred as a result of Truists banking systems and customer service lines being completely inaccessible to thousands of Truist customers beginning in XX/XX/2022 due to serious issues with their poorly executed merger with Suntrust and BB & T. 

Ive filed a formal complaint with the Federal Reserve and the FDIC to date. 


Throughout the month of XX/XX/2022, I tried unsuccessfully for days to pay my mortgage for the month via your website and app. Unfortuanately, both were unavailable to customers at this time ( and still persists now as evidenced by several media sources ). I tried numerous times to call and speak to a representative. I waited on hold for several hours only to be transferred and then hung up on. 


Out of desperation, I posted a message on Truist Bank XXXX and XXXX accounts at the end of XXXX asking for help to make a payment on time. Reaching out to an FDIC insured bank on social media to beg them to reach out via customer service so that I can give them my money to pay my mortgage is unacceptable and no customer should EVER have to do this. I did not receive a response from Truist until early XXXX, 2 weeks later, asking me to send an email to XXXX to which I did. As of todays date XX/XX/2022, Ive not received a response from this email address. 

In short, due to Truist not making payment options available to me, I was not able to make my payment for XX/XX/2022 on time, even though I had the money to do so and attempted to many times. 

Truist then reported this to the credit bureaus as missing a payment resulting in my credit score dropping from XXXX to XXXX. This is completely unacceptable. 


I am currently building a home and will be closing on the mortgage in the next 3 months. Due to Truists complete negligence, my current credit score disqualifies me from qualifying for my pre-approved loan product and I will lose my new house. 


I am writing to request Truist supply me with a letter noting that the XX/XX/2022 payment was not made due to Truists systems not being available to ensure my credit is repaired and brought back to good standing. I am requesting this letter be provided to me no later than XX/XX/XXXX so I may begin the lengthy process of repairing my credit. 

I am also requesting you report this payment as on time to my credit agencies ( XXXX, XXXX and XXXX ). 


Note that I have never missed a payment on my mortgage with Truist or Suntrust until this issue. Note that my account is currently fully paid and in good standing. I understand mergers are difficult. However, as a customer I am trusting you with my finances and home mortgage. It goes without saying that customers should be able to access their accounts to conduct business. 

In order to make this right, I need to receive this ameliorative letter. I await your response. 

Account of Truist Banking Issues XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2022 XX/XX/2022 attempted to pay Truist mortgage online through the website, app and by calling customer service. Online services and customer services were unavailable XX/XX/XXXX approximately made comment on Truists XXXX In account asking someone to help me make a payment on my mortgage XX/XX/XXXX I finally reach a customer rep on the phone and make a payment for XXXX and XX/XX/2022 mortgage. 

XX/XX/XXXX I file a formal dispute with all three credit bureaus regarding the unwarranted late charge. 

Approximately XX/XX/XXXX Truist responds to my XXXX comment 2 weeks later requesting I send details on my request to XXXX. I send 2 messages on to this email address on XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. I still have not heard back. 

XX/XX/XXXX I notice that the payment I made for XXXX and XX/XX/2022 totaling {$3300.00}. XXXX had not posted to my Truist mortgage account and the money has not been transferred from my primary checking account with another bank. Additionally, I had a returned check and late fee of {$15.00}. 

XX/XX/XXXX I call Truist re : the above, am put on hold for 45 minutes and then speak to a rep who tells me the rep who took my payment on XX/XX/XXXX recorded by checking account number incorrectly. She takes a correct payment down and the funds clear my account by the end of XXXX. She says she will follow up re : crediting the late payment of {$15.00} back to my account. I never hear back from her or any representative at Truist bank again. 

XX/XX/XXXX- a representative from Truist called saying that my Truist has denied my dispute noting the following : - Truists online services were available to customers for most of XX/XX/2022 ( categorically false. See here, here, here and here where customers and news outlets have noted the contrary ) Which is why I had to reach out to Truist on XXXX - Truist claims I could have sent payment through other options, like calling the customer service line ( false, see above ), mailing a check ( false, I have paid my mortgage with Suntrust then Truist online for years and should not have to do something different due to Truists negligence ) or using the online portal ( see above ) noted the following. My experience is not unique. In fact, thousands of Truists customers took to social media with complaints of not being able to pay their bills or access their funds at Truist and of ungodly wait times when attempting to call Truist. These issues were covered extensively by multiple news outlet. While the Suntrust/BB & T merger ( like many customers, my account was originally with Suntrust ) was cited as a cause of service disruption, the merger was three years in the making. I am a paying customer who should still have access to my account Additionally, I had been enrolled in automatic mortgage payments with Suntrust which should have carried over to Truist but did not. 

This late payment has resulted in my credit score being severely damaged and dropping my score by more than XXXX points. 

As of today, my account is in good standing. 

I am writing to request that the erroneous and unwarranted late payment of XX/XX/2022 be removed from my account for the aforementioned reasons. I have paid my mortgage on time every month. The only reason my payment was late is because Truist made it impossible to make my payment on time. 


I would like this update to my credit report to be effective immediately and request documentation that you have updated my XX/XX/2022 payment as on time to be sent to me at the email address below. 


I can be reached via email at XXXX or XXXX XXXX. 

Best, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX  Senior XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX.

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