Consumer complaint received 2019-04-11
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: CO
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Overdrafts and overdraft fees

Complaint:
Due to US banks gross negligence I XXXX XXXX am requesting that {$1000.00} of overdraft fees be refunded to our accounts, and that the threat of Collection cease. Heres what happened : On XX/XX/XXXX after an ongoing hardship due to my wifes XXXX related illness, our personal checking account began accruing overdraft fees at {$36.00} each. My Wife XXXX who is joint on the account, suffered with XXXX XXXX the entire XXXX, and XXXX XXXX during XXXX, which we learned is often brought out of dormancy in XXXX/XXXX, accompanied by daily XXXX XXXX and XXXX. Her XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX  which I worked for - our only source of income, had ceased to serve or attract clients. 

I called US bank XXXX and spoke young man XXXX, who said he had only been there two months, and refunded Qty 10 {$36.00} overdraft fees on the spot, after I explained our hardship. That same day I went to the local US bank branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, CO XXXX and asked XXXX, the branch manager, if there was any way I could block my personal checking account so the fees would stop and I could contact my creditors. He replied no, we can only do that when there is fraud By XX/XX/XXXX, 10 more overdraft fees had accrued between our personal and business checking account. I called US bank XXXX and spoke with XXXX, a manager of online banking. I explained my wifes illness and our present hardship, with a XXXX and a XXXX year old to care for and requested assistance with the fees. XXXX first said she could not refund any more fees, and after I pleaded with her she proceeded to shame and scold me, then begrudgingly agreed to refund five fees between the two accounts. I again asked if my checking account could be blocked to avoid further fees, and she said No it is not possible We received one time assistance from my XXXX yr old mother, who is living on Social Security, while I looked for a job and tried to attract clients for the business. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I was sent {$300.00} via XXXX from my Mother, so I could avoid more upcoming fees, and there was a glitch with XXXX that prevented them from being received on the XXXX and I called US bank XXXX and spoke to XXXX, who place me on hold and explained what happened to an online manager on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX said yes we can see the glitch and are in the process of refunding the six fees that occurred, please continue to hold. By accident my XXXX year-old hung up my phone. I called back and got a different manager XXXX, who argued with me and said he would not refund anything. I called back and explained what happened to a rep who, said all managers are different, and sent a message to XXXX asking her to call me back to continue the refund, and she did not call back. 

On XX/XX/XXXX I began a new job training to manage a XXXX XXXX XXXX  center, after placing countless applications and resumes. My job would be paying $ XXXX/hr for 6 weeks during the training phase before I would begin earning commissions, and could not afford to have my checks directly deposited into my account against so many overdraft fees. I called the US Bank branch in CA where we opened our accounts 8 years ago - XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX, CA XXXX XXXX and spoke to XXXX the branch manager. By this time, the number of fees accrued were insurmountable. I explained our hardship with my Wifes XXXX illness, our XXXX XXXX XXXX taking a major hit and my frantic search for a job while caring for XXXX children. 
He said and I quote we could just block your account. After two US Bank online managers, and the manager at the XXXX XXXX XXXX location had all told me know that could not be done! 

From XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, there have been 34 overdraft or extended overdraft fees at {$36.00} each on our personal checking account ending in XXXX, and 11 overdraft fees at {$36.00} each on our business checking account ending in XXXX. Thats a total of 45 fees. 14 fees were refunded in account ending in XXXX, and three fees were refunded in account ending in XXXX. 

XXXX then proceeded to advise me to call XXXX XXXX, the US Bank regional manager, at XXXX or XXXX and said he would be out of the office until Friday. He further advised that if I could not get favorable results from XXXX XXXX, that I should contact The consumer financial protection agency, stating the agency had helped him personally in the past I left a message for XXXX XXXX on Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX and his personal secretary called me back, asking me to give her the details. I once again, explained our hardship, and the fact that all of the overdraft/extended overdraft fees charged after XX/XX/XXXX would not have occurred if US Bank online or branch management had told the truth about their ability to block my account so I could communicate with our creditors and avoid the inevitable overdraft/extended overdraft fees. Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, I received a call from XXXX, the manager at the XXXX XXXX branch saying that XXXX XXXX reviewed my accounts and could refund only 4 of the 28 outstanding overdraft fees. I told XXXX that this was not acceptable and asked him to block our personal checking account which he did easily over the phone - in minutes. 

Thus I am contacting theConsumer Financial Protection agency, as advised by XXXX, the US bank branch manager. Since XX/XX/XXXX our two checking accounts have been debited {$1600.00} in overdraft/ extended overdraft fees, and refunded {$610.00}, leaving {$1000.00} in unpaid overdraft fees. On XX/XX/XXXX, we received a phone call from US Bank stating that if the fees on our checking account were not paid by XX/XX/XXXX, we would be sent to collections. 

I was fully cognizant of the impending gravity of our financial situation back in XX/XX/XXXX, and knew the time it could take to land a job to make up for my our home business loss. I have been relying on assistance and charity to feed my family. Id inquired numerous times for assistance with our hardship, requesting the ability to block our accounts, and was lied to about US Banks ability to block our checking accounts on 3 occasions. Had I been given complete and accurate information by US bank Management I would have have blocked one or both of our accounts, on XX/XX/XXXX upon my first request at our local XXXX Colorado Branch. 

Due to US banks gross negligence I am requesting that {$1000.00} of overdraft fees be refunded to our accounts, and that the threat of Collection cease. 

Currently our personal checking account ending in XXXX has a negative balance of - XXXX and our business checking account has a negative balance of XXXX. 

You Assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX and Family

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 non-monetary relief