Consumer complaint received 2019-04-26
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: UT
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with balance transfer

Complaint:
I applied for a balance transfer with Discover Card on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX. On the website, they disclosed the balance transfer would take 7 - 10 days. 

I spoke on the phone with an agent in their XXXX XXXX XXXX office the night before applying online on their website to make sure everything qualified and was in place. I have been a cardholder of theirs for 25 years. I always make my payments on time, figured they take care of long term customers. 

I called on the XXXX to see the status. They said it was processing. Would probably take a week to receive the transfer. I called on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, asked about the status again. Spoke with a rep in their Arizona office. She said it would probably take a little longer. I asked if they sent it ACH or by mail. She said she didn't know and couldn't see in her systems. I asked to speak with a supervisor to see how it was sent. The supervisor in Delaware said they couldn't tell how it was sent and to expect up to 10 days. 

I called last night, XX/XX/XXXX, to find out the status of transfer. I spoke with a supervisor, XXXX in Ohio. He said they could see it had processed on XX/XX/XXXX. Wasn't sure why it was taking so long. He couldn't tell me if they sent it by ACH or paper check. I asked him to look into it. He said there was no way to tell and shrugged it off. I asked him to escalate it. He said there was no one there to talk to above him, I would have to wait and they would call me back. I asked if he could trace where the money was. He refused to do anything and said legally they couldn't take action until 8 days after " processing '' the check. This meant Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX. 

Today, XX/XX/XXXX, which is the 10th day since I applied, I received a phone call in the afternoon from XXXX in Ohio, who said he was a supervisor over XXXX in Ohio. He apologized, but repeated that they had no way of knowing whether a paper check was sent or ACH. I asked him to look again. He said there was nothing he could do. He said I would have to wait till Saturday, 12 days after I applied. I pointed out that their accounting people would be home on Saturday and unable to do anything to help me. He said they were there 24/7 and I could call the main number for Discover and ask for Billing on Saturday. He said if they had to restart the process, it could be another 7 - 10 days. I said unacceptable. He seemed pretty nonchalant about it. I said put yourself in my shoes. He repeated that legally they couldn't start anything to trace the check until 8 days had passed from the processing date. 

I spoke to my credit union several times. They have repeatedly told me they have no indication of a balance transfer from Discover. They are set up for ACH so I'm getting quite unnerved about how long this is taking. 

I feel like Discover is being deceptive. It seems like somebody is floating money and not taking responsibility for it. I am paying interest on my credit union account ( that was supposed to be paid off with the balance transfer ). I am simultaneously paying interest to Discover, whose employees seem to not know or not care about the location of my balance transfer funds ; no one can tell me how the funds were sent. The balance transfer is plainly showing on my Discover account, accruing interest. Where is the money? The staff at Discover repeat a series of scripted answers when I call. No one offers any solutions. Just the attitude of wait another week. I'm frustrated with this process and I'm going into day 11 now with no answers.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation