Consumer complaint received 2022-07-26
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: MO
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
I have XXXX incidents to report : I bank with PNC. I wrote a check to a contractor for some work on my basement on Monday evening of last week for XXXX. At the time I wrote the check, I had approximately XXXX in my bank account. By Tuesday, the money left my account, bringing my account balance down to approximately XXXX. I was able to click on the XXXX line item check and visualize the check I wrote to the contractor for XXXX. 

One day later, on Wednesday evening, I received an angry call and text from the contractor stating that the money was no longer in his account, and demanding that I pay him in cash.

I told him that the money had absolutely left my account, sent him screen shots of my bank account balance ledger and the screenshot of the check I was able to click on, made out to him, that I could see had cleared from my account.

Even though we believed we had paid the contractor and it was out of our hands, we went to our bank the next day to try to investigate further. 

Our branch office at PNC again advised us that they had honored the check, the funds had been withdrawn and they were confident that we had paid the funds via our check.

My husband conveyed this information to the contractor who agreed to wait another day for the situation to resolve and the funds to be available in his account. Friday morning we began receiving texts early in the morning from the contractor stating that the money was not in his account, and screen shots of the money being " uncredited '' somehow from his account at XXXX  XXXX XXXX. The contractor demanded that we meet him at XXXX am at our bank to resolve the situation of owing him the money. 

We told him we had jobs, but we would try to get off early and meet him at our bank to show him our account and speak with our banker at our branch office. 

I called my branch office on my lunch break, explained the situation and requested that they investigate, again, related to the issues. I was told by the branch manager that they really couldn't investigate anything through XXXX  XXXX XXXX without the permission of the XXXX  XXXX XXXX customer, so there wasn't anything more they could do on their end. 

I told her fine, that myself, my husband, and the contractor who banks with XXXX  XXXX XXXX would all meet at PNC at XXXX. 

We all met at the PNC XXXX branch at XXXX on Friday the XXXX, and our contractor called someone from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX the phone representative stated that the check amount of XXXX had been withdrawn from the contractor 's account due to insufficient funds. The PNC manager from our bank then told the XXXX  XXXX XXXX representative that this did not make any sense, that the XXXX was gone from our account, and it had not been returned even on a pending basis, and that there was approximately six times the amount of the check available in the account and there had been this amount available on the night the check was written, and indeed, has been there for many months. 

The XXXX  XXXX XXXX representative said they didn't know about any of that, that the insufficient funds flag had come from PNC, and that PNC was responsible somehow for now processing the money back to our account, but that PNC could file a claim for the missing money if there was an issue, and that was all XXXX  XXXX XXXX could offer any of us as a resolution to the missing XXXX. 

We asked the PNC branch manager to file a claim, and she stated it was too soon to file a claim for the missing money. We told her that the money had been gone from our account for at least four days, and according to the contractor, had been gone from his account as well for about three days, but it was a Friday evening and we were all essentially told to wait the weekend and hope for the best.

THe contractor has told us that even though the money is gone from our account, that it " doesn't count '' as paying him, since he doesn't have the money in his account and he is going to sue us unless we pay him soon and that our contract stated that we would pay his legal fees if he has to sue us for the money. 

Today is Tuesday and there is no pending return of XXXX to my account, the money has now been missing and in " bank limbo '' for over a week. When I emailed my branch manager at PNC about this again today, I was told they believe it is an error on the part of XXXX  XXXX XXXX and do not yet have a resolution for me. 

Both the banks are blaming each other, my contractor is threatening to sue me, and so far no one can explain where the XXXX went or how to get it back to either myself, or the party it was intended to pay. 

On top of this there is a second incident, I received a past due bill from XXXX for my internet. Normally, I would just assume I forgot to pay, but in light of recent issues, I called XXXX and asked if there was a way they could see if the check for XXXX payment had never arrived, or if it had arrived and there was a problem. 
Spectrum representative looked and said, no, a check had been received and returned for XXXX payment. At that time there had been approximately XXXX in my account. 
When I contacted PNC again to tell them about this issue, and its possible relationship to the missing XXXX, I was told Spectrum was wrong, the check was paid out, there was no connection, end of story. 
Basically, PNC is telling me that I should continue to trust them with my money, despite multiple checks not clearing with plenty of money in my account, and any threats from contractors or interuption to my utility services based on not receiving payment from PNC are not PNCs direct problem. 
A friend of mine has a long history in the banking world and is a VP at a different mortgage bank. After describing what happened he said he believes it is most likely a clearing house issue with the " sweep '' and gave me the information for this website. 
Are you able to assist me? I am very worried about the security of my finances!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation