Consumer complaint received 2023-03-07
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: MI
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
To begin, Discover ( Discover Banking-Savings ) solicited me on XX/XX/XXXX with a 'bait and switch ' offer to open an account with complete flexibility for withdrawing money while paying me simple interest and even a {$150.00} bonus if I made a {$15000.00} deposit within the stated window and simply kept the account open 30 days with the minimum {$15000.00} having no minimum holding / maintaining period requirement. I not only carefully checked the very favorable terms and conditions - I called their phone number on both XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX to have them confirm/ reaffirm my understanding of such terms and conditions. Then on XX/XX/XXXX, I successfully ( at least I thought ) completed application while, at this time providing {$15000.00} deposit information & authorization from my XXXX account. 

Complaint # XXXX ( of # XXXX ) begins on XX/XX/XXXX when it becomes apparent to me that my account opening was not yet effected, i.e., after NOT yet seeing seen my XXXX transfer going to Discover Savings being ( yet ) deducted from my XXXX XXXX XXXX  account, NOR any notification or confirmation ( yet ) from Discover Savings such as an email from them stating that the account was successfully opened with an opening {$15000.00} deposit. Again, everything with my XX/XX/XXXX online application HAD appeared to have been successfully accepted-completed. THUS, this Complaint # XXXX = no notification, whatsoever, of application declination UNTIL 19 days declination letter was initiated/ '' dated '' expressly as XX/XX/XXXX, and delivered snail mail several days after that XX/XX/XXXX, letter notification date. 

Complaint # XXXX ( of XXXX ) occurring on XX/XX/XXXX, after successful XX/XX/XXXX, re-application re-attempt with the {$15000.00} initial deposit both coming out of my XXXX account and posting on my new Discover account ( both ) on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, the site would NOT allow me to make normal ACH transfer withdrawal of {$7500.00} i.e., back to my bank account ( same exact routing # and account from which {$15000.00} deposit came 22 calendar days earlier ). After hours on the phone with Discover- ( again on XX/XX/XXXX ) representative said they would INSTEAD do a free Wire transfer on-line with a Discover Rep assisting me on the phone until full completion. Everything went through, EXCEPT THAT IT REALLY DIDN'T as I subsequently discovered on Saturday XX/XX/XXXX, when I learned that they needed YET MORE information since the account had not yet been opened 20 full business days ( and, supposedlyXXXX XXXX could ask for their money back up to 20 subsequent business days???? and that would thus leave Discover in a negative position is they sent roughly half of the {$15000.00} back to the exact same account from which it came. ( Please note however : XXXX tells me possible retraction-revocation could occur no more than 5 business days and NOT XXXX business days as Discovered personnel claimed ). On Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX, Discover could not tell me what the problem was, exactly, and I had to call back Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, when the " wire dept '' was opened. Also, on this XXXX day, I happened to have tried the normal ( ACH ) " transfer '' link and noticed that it was now working, so, I went ahead and added a regular ACH transfer of + {$7500.00} ( back to same XXXX account ). Also, the system said it is now 'scheduled ' and would be delivered to my XXXX  account no later than Friday, XX/XX/XXXX. 

Final and most severe claim # XXXX ( of XXXX ) - came Monday XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, when wire department was now open. Please keep in mind that at this juncture, 2 withdrawal transfes for {$7500.00} ( wire ) and {$7500.00} ( ACH ) were already in process -- theoretically leaving remaining ( future post withdrawal ) balance of {$170.00}. Relative to the wire withdrawal that I had thought was completed on XX/XX/XXXX - the Discover Wire dept. put me on the phone with my XXXX XXXX and adequately verified everything to their satisfaction except that they still wanted me to complete a link requiring me to submit scan of both sides of my license as well as ( wait for it ) a " selfie '' pic. Moreover, later that morning, I opened the respective link which was still required in order for me to proceed -- only to find that it FURTHER wanted me to waive all rights to arbitration and enjoin me from joining any class action lawsuit. At that point ( with the incredible changing b.s. hurdles in conflict with my contract " terms and conditions '' ) -- I decided that I would simply forgo the wire transfer and use ACH going forward i.e., for the one already successfully scheduled for Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, AND any other future desired withdrawal. HOWEVER, later that day when I checked my Discover online account - I noticed that they had removed-eviscerated my already ( previously ) scheduled ACH normal withdrawal-transfer. When I informed them of their mistake- not only would they NOT correct the so-call " indefinite freeze '' on my account- Discover insisted it that it will never be removed -- and thus I will never effectively have access to my savings UNTIL such time I capitulate to their new and ridiculous ADDED demands of ADDITIONALLY sending scans-pics of both sides of my driver license PLUS an XXXX " selfie '' no less. These newly added new contractual " terms and conditions '' after taking err ... " scamming '' me, ( please see complaint # XXXX above ) for my money, are not only 'laughable ' - they are also patently illegal, to my knowledge -- per Uniform Commercial Code ( UCC ) as well as a bevy of Consumer Financial Protection laws.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief