Consumer complaint received 2020-05-02
Company: ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
State: TX
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Card was charged for something you did not purchase with the card

Complaint:
XX/XX/XXXX XXXX charged my checking account {$120.00}, I immediately contacted Ally to let them know that this charge was not authorized by me. Ally issued a provisional credit to my account for {$120.00}. In early XXXX I contacted Ally about where my dispute stood and was told the provisional credit was permanent and Ally had decided in my favor. 

Believing the case was decided in my favor, I did not bother contacting XXXX who allows 60 days to receive a refund when you have not used or downloaded their product. If I thought even for a moment that Ally would take this money from my account after telling me the case was decided in my favor, I would have contacted XXXX for the refund instead. Now, because Ally reversed their decision and removed the {$120.00} from my account on XX/XX/XXXX, Ally has effectively removed that avenue of  getting a refund. 

When the charge reappeared on my account I immediately contacted Ally and asked why they removed the {$120.00} since they told me this case was decided in my favor. After calling numerous times and being told I would receive a callback, I could not get a straight answer or a returned call. 

Each call they told me something different ; on one call I would be told my dispute was open, on another that it was closed and yet another I would be told it was escalated but at no time could I speak to the department that was handling this matter. 

Finally, I was told that they reversed the charge based upon evidence received from XXXX, so I requested a copy of that evidence. After waiting for weeks I received the information that Ally relied on to reverse my charge and they sent another customer file. Does this mean that my information is in someone elses hands as this information is? This seems very dangerous from my point of view that a bank could make such an error. I contacted Ally again and spoke with a supervisor who asked me to send them a copy of the evidence I received, I guess they did not believe me, so I uploaded this information directly to them on XX/XX/XXXX. 

That was followed by an email dated XX/XX/XXXX, that had a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, which Ally claims was mailed to me at that time, but no letter was ever received nor was it sent to my online portal. This letter only magically appeared after I pointed out that the incorrect file was sent to me that belonged to another customer. 

After reviewing the real evidence that was finally provided by XXXX, I submitted the inaccuracies that were found, they are as follows : 1. XXXX evidence states that at the time of purchase they recorded my IP address as XXXX this is not my IP address nor has it ever been since I have been with the same internet provider Wi-Five for over three ( 3 ) years ; 2. The IP shows XXXX for XXXX XXXX, this is NOT her ISP this is an XXXX XXXX XXXX ISP and XXXX XXXX XXXX is NOT her internet carrier XXXX is ; 3. The IP address that XXXX states in their evidence does not match my cell phone carrier, XXXX proving further that I never authorized this charge, XXXX has been my cell phone carrier for over 9 years ; 4. The XXXX XXXX claims captured at the time of this purchase does not belong to me nor is has it ever been associated with me in any way ; 5. The billing zip code XXXX claims it captured at the time of this purchase is XXXX when my billing zip code is XXXX. Ally is fully aware of my billing zip code so this should have been considered when they thoroughly investigated this claim proving they never investigated this at all and just took XXXX word over their customers word ; 6. XXXX evidence shows that this purchase was made by mail or phone order, however it contains no CID ; 7. XXXX claims that I had pressed a click to accept button at the time of this sale this is wholly untrue as the evidence above shows because at no time did I make or authorize this charge. 

8. XXXX XXXX, At the time of purchase, the merchant took measures to verify this transaction. The following information, collected at that time is considered compelling evidence : This is an outright lie and fraud by XXXX and is proven with XXXX own evidence that does not match any of my information ; Ally has failed to even review my evidence that proves I never made nor authorized this charge, Ally still claims that they performed a thorough investigation and that they closed my case this was before this evidence was submitted! How can they claim that a thorough investigation was made when they did not consider the evidence that I submitted on XX/XX/XXXX? Instead of reviewing my evidence, Ally told me to take it up with XXXX. Even XXXX has acknowledged that I have not used their software since XX/XX/XXXX! I have it in a recorded call! Meaning I never downloaded nor utilized this software, meaning I never received the product. 

Notwithstanding this evidence, Ally has decided to disregard all of the other evidence that was sworn out in my dispute, including : 1.  The XXXX software is not even on my computer ; 2. I have not used the XXXX software since XXXX ; 3.I am using the XXXX software that is provided by Ally for free and have been since XXXX ; 4. You can not run two antivirus software packages on a computer because if you did both programs would scan your computer, recognize each other as malicious then try to block, remove, or quarantine each other leaving your computer unprotected, leaving you without any protection at all ; 5. I am XXXX and live on less than {$800.00} a month and could never afford software that cost this much ; 6. XXXX has had two class-action suits involving their charging customers without authorization. 

It is a sad world when a bank who you entrust with your money does this to a person who is XXXX and living on a very limited income. Instead of protecting their customers, they are siding with merchants who have two class-action suits for this very thing, charging people WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, yet another fact that they only choose to ignore! 

Although I contacted XXXX about a refund, since it has been well over 60 days, there is nothing they are able to do to assist me. The back telling me this was resolved removed that remedy from me. 

I will be happy to provide you with any documentation you wish to see, however, I do not wish for that information to be made public as it has sensitive information on it.

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