Consumer complaint received 2020-09-18
Company: BANK OF THE WEST
State: IA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account
Sub-issue: Money was taken from your account on the wrong day or for the wrong amount

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I made a payment of {$2000.00} through online banking with Bank of the West to pay our mortgage for XXXX and XXXX. I inadvertently selected the wrong biller on our online payments. Our current mortgage holder is XXXX XXXX. Several years ago, we had our mortgage through XXXX XXXX XXXX. I inadvertently sent the {$2000.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX instead of XXXX. I realized my error when we received a notification in early XXXX from XXXX that our mortgage was more than 30 days past due. I checked my account and noticed I had sent the payment to the wrong company. I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX through every phone number I could find. Their automated phone system does not allow you to speak to a human without putting in an account number or social security number. I do not know what account number the payment was sent to, and Bank of the West was unable to tell me. I tried pressing zero, saying operator, waiting it out -- nothing could get me through to an actual human. When contacting XXXX failed, I contacted Bank of the West. The person I spoke with said that XXXX had accepted the payment. But she said Bank of the West would open a dispute and that we would have the money back in our account in ten days. I was so relieved. Several days later, we received a letter in the mail that our claim was denied. When I called to inquire, I was told that they denied the claim because I had authorized the payment. I never disputed that I had authorized the payment, but it was done in error and paid to a company where we do not have a mortgage. Bank of the West told me there was nothing further they would do and suggested I contact Nationwide ( which of course I can not do because I don't have an account number ). I asked again if they could tell me the account number they sent the payment to, and they said no. With no other options available to me to retrieve the {$2000.00}, I filed a complaint against XXXX with the CFPB on XX/XX/XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from a XXXX representative stating that the mortgage division was no longer operational and they had not received our check. She asked for a copy of the front and back of the check to see if she could figure out which division of XXXX had cashed the check. I contacted Bank of the West again on XX/XX/XXXX to ask them to provide a copy of the front and back of the check. The Bank of the West representative I spoke with checked and said that the check was never cashed. Apparently Bank of the West debited the {$2000.00} from my account when they sent the check, but no one ever cashed the check. The rep said she would put a stop payment on the check and the money " should '' be back in my account in 3-5 business days. I am filing this complaint because I am outraged that this company debited {$2000.00} from my account then when I tried to retrieve that {$2000.00} through a transaction dispute, they denied my dispute even though the check was never cashed. That money should have been back in my account long ago. It is unacceptable that, weeks later, I still do not have {$2000.00} that I desperately need to pay other bills and feed my family. I am outraged that Bank of the West would be so lazy and incompetent. The resolution I expect : {$2000.00} returned to my account IMMEDIATELY.

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