Consumer complaint received 2020-05-07
Company: BANK OF THE WEST
State: AZ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I deposited my Economic Impact Payment of {$940.00} into my Bank of the West Account on either Thursday XX/XX/XXXX or Friday XXXX. The funds were made available the next Monday. On Wednesday XXXX at approximately XXXX PST, I checked my account, only to find that I was completely locked out and suspended. I was told to call their customer service line, who said they could not tell me anything about what was going on, and that I had to step into a branch. 

Upon going to the branch in XXXX and asking what was going on, I was grilled by the teller about recent XXXX transactions that I had made. After explaining these payments, she then questioned why I had opened an account on XX/XX/XXXX. I told her that I had just moved to XXXX  from XXXX, that my previous regional bank was not operating in this state, and I needed to establish a new banking relationship. She then questioned why a previous check I had deposited ( which they held for 2 weeks before FINALLY making available ), was made out to a XXXX  address. I re-explained that I had just moved. She then said she had to speak to her manager to get the hold removed, and made me wait about 15-20 minutes. 

After the teller finally called me back up, she told me that my debit card was cancelled and my account was going to be closed. Her reasoning was that my STIMULUS CHECK, which was not mentioned up to this point, was considered by the back office to be fraud because it was not the typical {$1200.00}. I explained how, since I made more annually than the XXXX gross cutoff for the {$1200.00}, but less than the XXXX cutoff for the stimulus, the check amount was scaled down from the {$1200.00} to {$0.00} scale, which is why my amount was different. Mind you, I am completely baffled how a financial institution did not realize how the economic impact payments worked, and that I had to explain it to them. You can not make this up. 

She then said my available balance was reduced from ~ {$1600.00} to ~ {$670.00} because the funds had been placed on hold. Finally, she said that I had to bring the physical check in for the manager to look at and decide whether or not it was valid and to keep my account established. However, if I wanted this resolved today I would have to drive to the branch 20 miles away in XXXX, as that is where he was. I said I would do that, because I had bills I had to pay today, transfers that were scheduled, I needed to make a wire transfer, and unemployment benefits were due to hit my account that day. 

Upon arriving at the branch in XXXX with the physical check, the manager took it for review. He then stated that there was nothing he could do, as the back office had decided it was " altered '' and fraudulent. In order to keep my account and not have it closed, I had to simply wait for the check to clear. Until then, I would have no access to my funds and could not transfer money. 

This charade I am being put through is borderline criminal. If this account is closed erroneously, I will have no access to my UI benefits, my severance payment from being laid off, will incur penalties for late bills, and have no access to money for weeks. I do not have another account. This stimulus check is 100 % authentic and will clear, but I fear they will close my account regardless. I am already under extreme stress after relocating across the country only to be laid off a month later, and having this compound my duress may be my breaking point. Currently, I am in a state of financial purgatory with the threat of having my only bank account closed looming over me.

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