Consumer complaint received 2019-04-03
Company: FIRSTBANK PUERTO RICO
State: VI
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
I have been banking with FirstBank for a long time. I have never had such problems with them and am disappointed with their ability or willingness to right this situation. On XX/XX/XXXX {$2900.00} was deducted from our account. When we went to reconcile the account in XX/XX/XXXX we spotted this discrepancy and called FirstBank locally. They told us to call the main branch in XXXX XXXX. I called there and a claim was started. This did not result in much more than what was discussed on the phone with XXXX XXXX. They claimed that the transaction was an ACH payment that was removed by XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, but that was not done until XX/XX/XXXX. First of all, why would it be done over 3 months later? Second of all, WE ARE XXXX XXXX!!! XXXX XXXX is XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX is XXXX XXXX. Both names are on our account. I then called back on XX/XX/XXXX & spoke to XXXX XXXX. She started claim # 2.  This also resulted in them stating the same thing again. Since then I have talked to people at Puerto Rico FirstBank main office on XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX,,, XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, & XXXX ( I have names of people and what they said. See attached ). I have yet to get my money back or get an answer to why the money has disappeared. On one occasion I was told that I had to write a formal letter to FirstBank, of which I also did and have attached in the following documents. I have been told various things from it was deposited in a bank in Ohio ( of which I do not own, nor do I have an account in Ohio at all ), that it was a collection agency ( never had a delinquent notice, much less a collection agency after us ), to it being a payroll deduction. We have never done payroll from this account and that also does not make sense. Furthermore, the copy of the bank slip for the deduction ( attached with paperwork ) does not show a customer signature or any indication that someone besides ourselves removed money from the account. Even if we did remove the money, which we did not and do not see the amount deposited in any other account we own, then they should be able to tell us the banking information as to where the money went. They should be able to see what the routing #, account #, and what the bank name & account owners names are. However, they have not been able to give me any of this information either. After months of trying to work through it with them, I am asking for help. Can you please help hold FirstBank responsible for the fraudulent transferring of funds? I was willing to admit that it may have been our error originally, but they have not been able to show me any information that makes sense or help me see that it is a legitimate charge to our account. I ask that FirstBank return every bit of the {$2900.00} that was removed from our account and be held to some sort of accountability. Our money should be insured for such activity on our account and therefore returned, at the least, as an insurance adjusted claim. They should not have the right to remove money from an account and keep that money removed if they can not show where and how that money was debited. 

** In the attached documents I have the names, dates, and discussions documented. The last note was made on XXXX. I was promised multiple times by XXXX XXXX that he would call me back with a solution on XXXX. I never heard back from him ... again

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation