Consumer complaint received 2021-02-01
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: International money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
On the XXXX of XXXX, XXXX I contacted Brokerage staff at Fifth Third Bank ( XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX ) indicating that I needed to use an investment account to fund a wire transfer to my XXXX bank. 
I have resided in XXXX for many years, without condition as to time, with permission from the XXXX for XXXX. I am currently in a long term stable relationship with XXXX XXXX, who is an XXXX  citizen. 

That relationship is important as we have both recently become pensioners and we are contemplating a joint investment in property. 

Notwithstanding the fact that I issued instructions to them over the phone regarding my investments, they told me that I needed to appear in person to order the wire transfer. 
I made arrangements to travel to XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX give the instructions to them in person. 

In late XXXX the global pandemic began. When travel was prevented by health restrictions I contacted my XXXX XXXX branch to discuss a means of transaction that reflected the extraordinary circumstances that had arisen. 
The staff was not quick to respond. During XXXX they passed my request to a different office and my emails were ignored. In my emails I suggested various ways to satisfy their concerns regarding issues of Identification and Verification. 

Some confusion arose as for some reason emails they sent to me went straight to my XXXX XXXX. It is important to note that Fifth Third Bank prohibits overseas phone calls by staff, even with respect to Brokers. 

The staff I contacted around this time included XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX. I also spoke with XXXX XXXX regarding my decision to close all my accounts as I had lost faith in the bank I conducted online transactions and then identified these to the bank in the hope that this would help to establish my identity for the purpose of setting aside the in person rule. 

On the XXXX of XXXX, out of desperation, I swore an affidavit in XXXX and sent it by Registered Post to the President of the Bank, I included instructions regarding the closing of all my accounts and a demand to have a Bank Draft sent to a personal representative living in XXXX XXXX Michigan. My letter was ignored. 

Around the middle of XXXX I was able to make contact with a Regional Supervisor who has an office in XXXX XXXX. As a result I then made contact with XXXX XXXX. At this point she stated that the bank agreed to set up a procedure whereby I could order the closing of my accounts, with the final amount wired to XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Emails were quickly exchanged which clarified the many steps that the Bank was insisting upon. 

Remarkably, when the procedure was scheduled to start, the bank was incapable of meeting the steps of procedure they had insisted upon as a substitute for their in person rule. 

Even more remarkably, they then wired the money to XXXX having forgone all the Identification and Verification, which they has set as conditions. 

I assert that this process in XXXX was something that I asked for in XXXX. The bank obstructed that transaction without a legitimate reason. Given that what occurred in XXXX was identical to what they obstructed three months earlier, they are guilty of bad faith and failure to protect my consumer rights.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation