Consumer complaint received 2021-02-01
Company: FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF PENNSYLVANIA
State: PA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low
Sub-issue: Overdrafts and overdraft fees

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2020, 5 weeks after I lost my job and income because of COVID-19, I purchased a sandwich. That decision turned into a nightmare that I still grapple with. The day that I had purchased this sandwich, I had checked my First National checking account to make sure I had the money to do so. And I did with a few dollars to spare. Unfortunately, I did not notice that the {$9.00} moments before was not a charge for that amount ; it was a {$1.00} charge. Apparently this gas station only debits {$1.00} to an account initially. I hadn't calculated the entire {$9.00} purchase, only the {$1.00} that had been taken out of my account. This left my account negative {$4.00}. I did not know First National Bank was tacking on overdraft fees during the next few days for items that had previously been listed as already debited from my account, even on the XXXX when I purchased coffee for {$3.00} did I have any notice or knowledge that my account was overdrawn since the coffee purchase went through without fail. By the next day, the XXXX, which is when I went into my account again, the bank had charged me {$420.00}. i immediately called my local branch and spoke with XXXX, the bank manager. He offered to reimburse my account for 2 of the overdraft charges, but could not reverse all the fees. He explained how he was not permitted to make overdraft reversal decisions, but he would be happy check with his supervisor and see what could be done. He told me he would call me the following day. XXXX did call me the following day. His supervisor, he stated, was unwilling to reverse any of the fees, since in the past year the bank had already reversed {$140.00} worth of fees to my account. I explained how some of those fees were bank mistakes. But it did not matter. XXXX would do no more. I made several attempts calling the FNB customer service center to no avail of a better resolution. I explained to each individual I spoke with, including initially XXXX, that I just recently lost all my income due to the virus. No one was interested. Out of desperation, I called XXXX again. I asked him if I could have his supervisors contact information so I could plead my case to him. He gave me his supervisor 's email, and I sent Mr. XXXX a letter explaining my situation. Mr. XXXX called me immediately, but did not get involved, explaining that he leaves the overdraft reversal decision-making to his bank managers. He was not interested in XXXX 's putting the blame on him, and actually said to me that I must have misunderstood! I know exactly what XXXX told me and voiced that. It did not matter to Mr. XXXX and he would not budge on the decision to not help me. I began investigating overdraft fees and the worldwide pandemic. I found a Mr. XXXX XXXX, the CEO of XXXX, and read how he got on board with the Attorney General and the CARES Act. So i wrote to him and explained the situation. That was a waste of many hours of letter preparation. I never heard back from him or his office. I received a letter yesterday from a collection agency for the overdraft charges.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief