Consumer complaint received 2022-09-19
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: FL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Trouble using your card
Sub-issue: Can't use card to make purchases

Complaint:
XXXX sent to PNC Bank XXXX XXXX. 

Monday, XX/XX/2022 PNC XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX Pa, XXXX To whom it may concern : Re : Credit Card Acct. XXXX ** XXXX has a {$14000.00} line and has a positive balance ( over payment ) of {$250.00} as of today I am a caretaker of my XXXX mother. I have provided your bank with a valid, legal, enforceable power of attorney. This was done after my father XXXX XXXX  or so years ago, and I took over care of my mother. 

Recently, you all have been declining charges hitting my mothers credit card. These charges have been hitting the card for years and include : her utility payments, her cable payments ( which is her window to the world at this point in her life ), her monitored security system ADT ( which has a life alert type of function ). These declines put my mother at risk. 

Today, I called your Credit Card area to discuss what is happening to the card and why charges are being declined? I was told that at times your company declines charges to make sure they are legitimate and that there is no elderly abuse ( or something of that sort ). I would encourage you to listen to the discussion which I was told is on a recorded line. The discussion is between me, and a manager named XXXX. It should be timestamped at roughly XXXX XXXX  EST on this date ( XX/XX/2022 ). Again, the discussion was with a manager named XXXX she would not list her last name nor any other way to identify her. So, lets refer to her a XXXX Manager in the Credit Card Dept. That is all the information I could glean. 

When I asked why charges are be being turned down, she told me she could not discuss it with me but rather she needed to speak with my mother. I explained I have approved power of attorney, that the transactions in question are not the buying of TVs or trips, or toys, rather they are recurring charges that have been hitting the card for years for fundamental life needs. For electricity, water, security, and even the TV ( cable bill ) which again is moms window to the world. The fact that these are being rejected and thus risks them being disconnected or cancelled puts my mother at peril. In my view these actions are in fact putting my mother at risk. 

When I asked whether the payments will go through going forward, and again take note of the following : {$14000.00} credit line {$250.00} positive credit balance on the line Charges that have been ongoing for the most part for years ( utilities, ADT, etc. ) A valid power of attorney presented to the bank and accepted by the bank A course of dealing with handling of the account and the recurring payments coming through I was told this we can not tell you or discuss transactions with you, we must speak to your mother. The entire purpose of a valid, legal power of attorney is to take care of my mothers affairs. She is XXXX XXXX XXXX, does not pay a single bill or handle a single financial transaction of any form or kind, nor has she for some time. This is my role as a caregiver, loving son, and someone who plays by the rules and handled everything legally and thoughtfully. 

I would like a response from your bank, your management, your compliance team, whomever, as to what happened and why (? ) why the charges have been declined. I would like to know how you can not accept the power of attorney for this basic financial discussion and solution that I needed to arrive at today after being told that my mothers cable and ADT is about to be cut off. By the way, my goal was and is to protect my mother make no double about that fact. I view your banks actions as poor service and sloppy on a good day and as border line elderly abuse on a bad day. It is unconscionable in my opinion. 

I look forward to your prompt response. Know that I will be closing this card account. I am also copying the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to alert them to situations such as this. While maybe founded in a desire to protect an elder or individuals of any age that are partially incapacitated, I believe it has been become very misguided and certainly does not fall under the heading of thoughtful, rationale, and customer friendly ; quite the opposite. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX Concerned Consumer and son Retired - XXXX, XXXX Bank, XXXX. 
Retired - EVP & Chief Banking XXXX, XXXX Bank **Complaint submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau XXXX CFPB ) on XX/XX/2022.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation