Consumer complaint received 2019-07-09
Company: COLUMBIA BANKING SYSTEM, INC.
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Transaction was not authorized

Complaint:
This complaint addresses issues with Columbia State Bank, branches located on XXXX XXXX and the XXXX XXXX branches and two individuals. XXXX and XXXX. I was brought into this bank by XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX with a promise. It was the 90 's and that promise included that they were going to be different and would never start charging customers untold fees and charges etc. and there was more, much more. I was happy for a long time. XXXX from XXXX had come over to XXXX XXXX ( bank 1 ) to work and she opened my SDB telling me " I am going to give you a special rate, XXXX ''. I didn't know. After a time I needed another SDB but they did not have any so I went to ( bank 2 ) at XXXX XXXX. They put me on the list of customers needing one. On at least 3 occasions I was dropped off and put back on. They didn't know why but XXXX told me " You don't need to worry you will pay the same rate you are currently paying when you get one '' And every time I went to check to see if one had come available every employee I talked to " quoted '' the same thing. 
# 2. Finally I was called that they had one and I went into the branch at bank 2- XXXX. XXXX. It came time to pay and it was WAY over what I was currently paying. I reminded her what I was told and XXXX said " XXXX set up your first SDB and gave you a special rate and you will continue to pay that amount, because you are grandfathered at that rate, but we can't offer it here. '' So they did not honor what was promised by all employees there. I wasn't happy and I couldn't help but remember XXXX XXXX. I continued paying my rate at bank 1 until the next time. The person that set up my initial box XXXX and the person that confirmed my rate XXXX, right before I renew were both gone from the bank! The next year I received no renewal notice. 

# 3. This is when I started NOT receiving my bank statements from the bank. Now I have other banks and there was no problem there so it was not the U.S. mail. On three separate occasions I called the bank ( 2 ) and spoke with XXXX asking for my bank statements. I received copies however these did not look like copies they looked like facsimiles or created. Because items were in different places than normal. I remember years ago I had an overdraft which I had never happen to me on my account. I had gone into the branch and because I had a very large amount in the branch and even though I thought this wasn't supposed to have this put on because they had the money but I remember because it bothered me so much at the time. I was told they couldn't remove it even though I had a lot in the bank. It bothered me because I am usually very diligent about such things. But it is what it is. However, on this facsimile it was put on a page with a huge square around it which is never that way on your statement. And I am sure it was done to disparage me and call attention to it. Like I am a terrible person, look at this!! 


# 4. Quite by accident I had decided to try online banking again because I was told they had made changes to the parts I had not wanted prior, when I had it, in there new endeavor at online banking. So once I had it I started looking around the site to familiarize myself where things were. I found {$25.00} deposits put at random on my account without my knowledge, or authorization and they appeared at random on my account. That is why I noticed it. And looked to me like they had been put over the top of other transactions to void what had been there. I wasn't contacted, or asked, or informed as to what this even was and I called the bank ( 2 ) and asked XXXX about it. What she told me was " YOU WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS ''! Hmm # 5.  Next, I started receiving increases and late fees from XXXX at bank ( 1 ) to my box. Which I had paid. My box that was created by XXXX with my special rate and that had been confirmed/grandfathered by XXXX at the bank and I had dropped off my payments. At this time they were not sending me my renewal papers and I had to ask. They are supposed to send them the month before renewal. 

I can't tell you how disappointed I am right now. Believe it or not I was in the process of writing a positive compliment to the bank right before this started happening because I had been happy with the bank and how I came to be there. Now with having to bring this up I probably would not be believed. 
At this point it is more about how this has been handled than how it started. 
I don't go out of my way to do this. I would have much rather have talked to the bank president but I have never had this happen to me and I did not know what to do. I asked myself wouldn't someone either discount what I am saying or better still just erase it? And when I went online it gave few options to you as what to do or where to go. And these individuals work there so what do I do? 

I have been happy at the bank, I have. Does everyone like you and you like every person there? No of course not but you are not there every minute either. I was brought into the bank by the two people I mentioned, with a promise. I can still see XXXX XXXX standing in my office and being firm and forthright to what he told me about how the bank was going to be. " Just give us a chance '' he said " and I will prove it to you ''. " This is my promise ''. Is there still a promise? I wonder. 
I write this to you because the original complaint was not accurate. 
I felt I had no choice but to write it because I did not know where to go and I am more disappointed than you can know about having to. 
If there is something needed please contact me as I am not sure how to do that here

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