Consumer complaint received 2020-10-10
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: GA
Product: Mortgage
Sub-product: Home equity loan or line of credit (HELOC)
Issue: Trouble during payment process

Complaint:
SUMMARY : Fifth Third Bank enrolled me in a payment deferral program without my authorization or knowledge, XXXX XXXX-style. Despite my multiple attempts and many hours spent on communication since XXXX, they have been unable to correct their mistake, or to provide me any details of the additional interest accrued during the period of their fraudulent enrollment of me into a program I never requested, nor ever approved. 
 DETAIL : In XX/XX/2020, I called all of my creditors to inquire about any deferral plans offered. This included Fifth Third Bank, with whom I had a HELOC. With other creditors, I was able to converse directly with a representative, and received written details of their offers. With Fifth Third Bank, I was given only the option of leaving a voice message. As no one from Fifth Third returned my voice message inquiry, I let it drop. ( I ultimately did not opt to enroll in any  of my creditors ' deferral offers. ) In XXXX, having drawn additional funds from my HELOC, and noticing that the monthly autopayment amount extracted by Fifth Third from my checking account had not increased, I inquired with my local branch. After a week, a branch representative informed me that I would need to inquire via a toll-free telephone number at Fifth Third Bank to learn about the status of my account. 

Throughout XXXX, and multiple calls to Fifth Third Bank 's toll-free number, I learned that I had been enrolled in Fifth Third  Bank 's payment deferral program at some point between XX/XX/2020 and XX/XX/2020. Upon learning this news, I requested a copy of Fifth Third Bank 's proof of my authorization or agreement or acknowledgement that I had opted to enroll in Fifth Third Bank 's payment deferral program.

Despite requesting a case number, reference number, direct contact details, or even the first and last name of the representative fielding my calls, I was told that none of these, other than the representative 's first name, was available to me. With hold times for reaching anyone exceeding 30 minutes, and having to start from the  beginning each time I called, and being told each time that they would investigate, I was finally, on XX/XX/XXXX able to reach a supervisor who acknowledged that I had been signed-up for payment deferral without my knowledge or agreement or authorization. 

I requested to the supervisor, XXXX, the total balance due had I not been enrolled in the program. I informed her that I would like to make all payments due to date, and to have the accrued interest credited to my account. She agreed, and informed me that it would take until XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX to make the calculation and communicate it to me. I thanked her, and asked for her extension number so that I could call her if she did not call me back by XX/XX/XXXX. 

She informed me that she would be out of the office all week, and that she was handing my case to her colleague, whom she assured would reach out to me by XX/XX/XXXX. She shared her colleague 's direct line and extension number with me, and I confirmed it with her twice, and then marked my calendar for XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, not having heard back from anyone at Fifth Third Bank, I dialed the direct number that had been provided to me the week prior. When a Fifth Third Bank representative answered the line, I shared with him the extension number and was told by the representative that the extension was not in the company directory.  So I provided the first name the supervisor that XXXX had providedXXXX. The representative stated that there was neither a XXXX nor a XXXX  in his directory. 

The representative invited me to share my issue with him. Having had to repeat my story from the beginning several times already, I asked if he would transfer me to a supervisor. He agreed, and I spent 37 minutes and 19 seconds on hold for a supervisor. When a representative answered, my phone was unfortunately on Mute. In the three seconds it took to unmute my phone, the representative hung-up.

It appears that Fifth Third Bank has un-enrolled me in the deferral program because, during my time on hold, the recording stated a
payment amount that was significantly higher than the monthly payment amount being withdrawn from my Fifth Third checking account since Spring 2020.

It does not seem legal or ethical to enroll a customer into a program that was not requested, not authorized, or agreed to by the customer, and then not notifying the customer that they had been enrolled in that program. Further, not giving the customer any route to remedy the situation, even after more than six hours of effort, is beyond frustrating.

My request is for a monthly accounting of the HELOC account as it would have been with no deferral plan, for Fifth Third Bank to  refund accrued interest due to the deferral program, and to accept my lump sum payment for whatever amount would otherwise have been due over the months that I was unwittingly enrolled in the bank 's deferral program. I would also like to request, going forward, to not be forced to participate in any optional Fifth Third program without my acceptance, agreement or authorization.

Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation