Consumer complaint received 2022-02-16
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not handled or disbursed as instructed

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I wrote a check to a contractor who was installing artificial grass at my home in the amount of {$800.00}. This was check number XXXX drawn on my Chase checking account ending in XXXX. The check was cashed and my account was debited for the {$800.00}. Fast forward to XXXX of XXXX. The same check was deposited again for a second time. Although the check had been altered on the face to change the date and check number, the micro encoding at the bottom of the check was not altered. Accordingly the computer processing the check read the check number as XXXX, ( again ), and paid the check for the {$800.00} for a second time. A copy of both the original and the altered check are attached to this complaint. I immediately went to Chase and told them what had happened. Since I had written several checks to this same contractor, we closed that account to prevent this from happening a second time. Meanwhile the same contractor did the same thing with a check I had written to him from my XXXX XXXX account in the amount of {$2000.00}. I also informed XXXX XXXX who returned the money to my account the next business day and we closed that account as well. 

When I met with the Chase banker XXXX XXXX, XXXX, he called in the complaint as I sat in front of him. He was told by the person on the phone that they had access to the account and could see what had transpired. Further they told him that he did not need to file any paperwork and that I should have my money back in my account in the next three to five business days. After a week the money had still not been put back into my account so I called to ask the status of the claim. XXXX followed up and called to tell me that the first person was wrong and that I would need to come in and sign a formal complaint which I did. I was then told that it could take up to 90 days to get the money put back into my account while Chase would try and get the money back from the other bank. XXXX assured me that I would have it back in my account by the end of the 90 days. I inquired why, if they were going to give it to me anyway, they would not just do it now like XXXX XXXX had done rather than make me wait. He didnt have an answer. After a month I inquired again ; XXXX followed up again and informed me that they had lost the claim and I needed to come in and file again which I did. I followed up and they had once again lost the claim so we filed the claim for the fourth time. This time XXXX followed up immediately to insure that they had indeed received the claim which they acknowledged they had. Ninety days later I still had not received the money. I called and spoke to XXXX XXXX at XXXX ext XXXX regarding complaint XXXX ; I was now being told that the check had been deposited into a XXXX XXXX account and if XXXX XXXX didnt give the money back to Chase, I would be out-of-luck and would not get my {$800.00} back. I argued that it was Chase that had paid the same check, XXXX, twice for the same amount and it was their computers/software that didnt even flag this as something to be looked at or rejected. I didnt understand why XXXX XXXX was the one that needed to do the right thing and return the money when it seemed to me that it was Chase that made the original error that had caused this problem. If not for Chase paying the check twice, we would not be relaying on the largesse of XXXX XXXX to give back the money. Chase then gave me a XXXX XXXX phone number and a complaint number. I was told I should call XXXX XXXX since there was nothing Chase could do. 

I called the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX and inquired about XXXX ; I was told by XXXX XXXX that they do not talk to customers and that Chase should not have directed me to call them. They would only speak to Chase directly. That being said, they did tell me that it was actively being researched and they had received the claim on XX/XX/XXXX. ( I had brought this to Chases attention back in XXXX of XXXX ). 

I am upset that Chase caused this issue by paying a check twice. I understand that the check had been altered on the face, but Chase did not know that since the encoding and my statements showed Chase paying check XXXX twice for {$800.00}. Regardless {$800.00} is a rounding error to these XXXX banks and now they are pointing to each other and it looks like I am the one that will end up paying for their mistakes. This is at the very least poor customer service and at worst incompetence and nonchalant on their part. It doesnt seem fair to me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation