Consumer complaint received 2017-12-29
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: IL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I opened a XXXX XXXX account from XXXX XXXX  through a promotion they offered. The promotion indicated that depositing {$15000.00} or {$20000.00} by XXXX/XXXX/XXXX would earn a bonus payment from XXXX in the amount of {$150.00} or {$200.00}, based upon the amount deposited into the account. Despite having met the requirements of the promotion ( my balance in the account was {$15000.00} on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ), they refused to provide me with the bonus for {$150.00}. 

Prior to XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I did not have a XXXX XXXX account and therefore had {$0.00} on deposit with their bank. Then on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I had {$15000.00} on deposit with them in my savings account. In between those dates ( XXXX/XXXX/XXXX and XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ), I made a variety of deposits and had interest deposited into the account by XXXX until the balance reached the {$15000.00} on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ( see amounts and dates below ). This pattern of activity satisfied the terms of the promotion to earn the {$150.00} bonus payment but not the {$200.00} payment. However, XXXX XXXX claims I did not meet the terms of the promotion at all. 

I contacted XXXX XXXX on or about XXXX/XXXX/XXXX to inquire when I saw that the {$150.00} bonus still had not been paid out to me ( the promotion stated that the bonus would be paid by XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ). At that time, I was told the issue would be investigated, which could take up to two weeks. On XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I received a letter ( dated XXXX/XXXX/XXXX ) from XXXX XXXX stating that I " did not meet all of the promotional criteria. '' However, the letter did not specify what criterion or criteria I did not meet. Thus, I called XXXX XXXX customer service again on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX to get more information and request my bonus payment. The numerous representatives with whom I spoke all stated that the " marketing department '' reviewed my complaint and that I was not eligible for the bonus payment and that nobody would be able to help me. 

Finally, on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX, I spoke with a third person who claimed that he would further escalate my issue. I was told that I would get a response by early XXXX XXXX ( within 10 business days ). All of the representatives I spoke with that day claimed that the deposit of interest into the account did not count toward the {$15000.00} in deposits required for the promotion. It should be noted that the fine print of the promotion did NOT stipulate that deposits of interest did not count toward meeting the requirements. Also, I had transferred a total of {$14000.00} into the account ( just {$2.00} shy of {$15000.00} ) and the amount of interest that XXXX said did not count was only {$2.00}. The only reason I did not transfer more into the account from my other bank was the fact that I was in fact transferring enough to meet the {$15000.00} deposit requirement. Why would I aritrarily deposit even more? Had I known that the deposit of interest would not count, I easily could have deposited {$2.00} more from my other bank. Here is the history which demonstrates that {$15000.00} or more was deposited into the account by XXXX/XXXX/XXXX : Acct History : XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - Account Opened Balance - {$0.00} XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - DEPOSIT - {$100.00} Balance - {$100.00} XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - DEPOSIT - {$3000.00} Balance - {$3100.00} XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - DEPOSIT - {$2400.00} Balance - {$5500.00} XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - INTEREST PAID - {$2.00} Balance - {$5500.00} XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - DEPOSIT - {$5000.00} Balance - {$10000.00} XXXX/XXXX/XXXX - DEPOSIT - {$4400.00} Balance - {$15000.00} I find the promotional language to unclear at best and misleading at worst. In fact, I met the terms of the promotion as written ; however, XXXX XXXX claims that their terms are actually different than what was written in the promo language ( i.e., that interest does not count ). The terms did not specify that interest did not count, and I find this " change '' in terms to be an attempt by the XXXX XXXX to change the terms after the fact so that they do not have to fulfill their obligations to their customers. XXXX XXXX should remedy this issue and credit my savings account with the {$150.00} bonus payment that I am owed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation