Consumer complaint received 2019-07-10
Company: CULLEN/FROST BANKERS, INC.
State: TX
Product: Payday loan, title loan, or personal loan
Sub-product: Personal line of credit
Issue: Getting a line of credit

Complaint:
I am looking for help please to remove an inquiry about caused by a negligent bank employee created on my account. 

I went to Frost Bank in XXXX on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, to open an account and then possibly apply for a line of credit. I specifically shared I was wanting to start a relationship with a local bank after our move to Texas, move my personal banking from XXXX XXXX XXXX, establish a good payment history now for future larger projects, real estate purchases, etc I was assisted by a girl name XXXX. 

The employee who assisted me gave me incorrect and incomplete information and then incorrectly ran an inquiry on my credit for products I was not even eligible to receive. Her negligence has negatively affected my opportunity to utilize a different bank for the goals listed above, because the negligent inquiry has lowered my score by over 15 points and used an inquiry incorrectly. 

I asked to open an account first, but she told me she would just attach an account to my line of credit once approved. I later learned I am not even allowed to open an account with Frost without being a Texas resident and a Texas government ID. And I am not allowed a line of credit without an account. I specifically asked many questions about how they operate and that I was more interested in an account and didnt need the line of credit first. She should have told me I was unable to be a customer before running my credit for an account I could not even be approved for without being a Texas ID holder. She should have known this. 

She ran my application for a XXXX loan request, which was not requested or permitted by me. I asked to learn what I might qualify for and she said she would ask the underwriting team, but never did I ask for XXXX. She didnt ask a single question about what I was going to use the line of credit for, but my projects are only approx. XXXX each. I asked her specifically how it works and she said the underwriter would gather the info and let me know what I qualify for. The manager has admitted she was uneducated and unqualified to work with customers requesting lines of credit and/or work with customer at this level of this nature anyways as additional paperwork would have been needed. I have no idea why she asked for XXXX. I asked if the process was similar to opening a credit card account where I present my credentials and they tell me what I would qualify for. She said yes, but then asked for XXXX. The manager has acknowledged this as a mistake and spoken with the employee about the mistake. 

In addition, I did not give her permission to send an incomplete file to the underwriter. I gave her permission to open a file and told her I was going to send work history, address proof and tax documents to her before processing, but she didnt wait and sent a 80 % incomplete application which was denied in seconds, even before I arrived home to send in documents. She was 100 % aware I was sending documents, as I sent one at the table and she knew the others would be arriving before the end of the afternoon. She didnt even write down my complete job history when I asked her too, as she said just send the documents instead. So when she sent in a application for XXXX for products I wasnt even qualified for as a non Texas card holder, she didnt even send a complete application. There was zero possibility of being able to move forward with her actions on my application. 

The reasons for denial were lack of address proof ( but she didnt wait for me to send in paperwork or do anything onsite to confirm address ) and terms and conditions, which I am unsure what that means. I asked her to please undo the application so it could be complete and asked why she asked for XXXX instead of letting me know what I qualified for. 

I went back to the bank on Monday, XX/XX/XXXX to get help fixing the problem and was there for XXXX hours. The second rep I worked with was where I was then told I couldnt open an account without an Texas ID and that I could not get a personal loan without having an account. I was also told by XXXX I would have needed to give explicit reasons for my loan request in order to be approved. Why was I not told any of this on my first visit? XXXX didnt ask any questions about my projects. 

The manager of the bank has admitted fault to all these pieces, but refused to help me remove the inquiry. The manager calls these training opportunities and I was told now I know for next time but in the meantime has lowered my credit score drastically for products I was incorrectly applied to and is greatly affecting me using a different institution I can actually be a customer with. I was not there to be a training opportunity but their mistakes have ruined my financial health. I would be uncomfortable being a customer of this bank at any level now with the level of incompetence and lack of knowledge demonstrated throughout this unfortunate situation. The manager has refused to help me undo the mistakes. As I shared with the management team, my request is for them to undo their mistakes, remove the inquiry and let me choose a new bank that has not been negligent. I can not move forward with the damage to my credit history their mistakes have created.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation