Consumer complaint received 2019-10-01
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem accessing account

Complaint:
XX/XX/2019 to ; CFPB Dear Sirs, This is the third complaint that I am forced to file against Chase Bank, after two previous complaints I filed with the CFPB failed to repair the financial damages caused to my business by Chase unfair conduct. Furthermore, the responses sent from chase bank representatives to CFPB were incorrect and did not match the facts. And also, the behavior of Chase representatives towards me on the telephone was very rude and unprofessional. 

In light of the Bank 's unfair practices and rude conduct, and the incorrect answers provided by the bank to CFPB, I demand your urgent investigation into this matter. 

These are the specifics of this case ; A ) Substantial and lasting injury caused by chase bank unfair actions The substantial and lasting injury caused to me by chase bank include : 1. Refusal to make bank wire transfers for payment of {$25000.00} each - even though they were done exactly according to bank procedures that allows up to {$25000.00} per day, and at that time the balance in my account was {$86000.00}. These wire transfers were made to the owner of an apartment in XXXX that I am purchasing. As a result, I had to take a loan of {$50000.00} to pay the the seller of the apartment. 

2. On XX/XX/2019 I deposited a check for {$84000.00} from my private account in Chase, but more than a month has passed and Chase still has not honor this personal check and did not transfer my money to my private account with XXXX XXXX in XXXX. I need the money transferred ASAP, in order to pay my commitment to purchase the apartment. 

Enclosed is a copy of the check. 

Although XXXX XXXX received confirmation from CHASE on XX/XX/19 that the check was received on CHASE - and although I spoke on XX/XX/19 with CHASE representative and he confirmed to me that the check was withdrawn from my chase account on XX/XX/19 - To this day, even though it has been a month or so, the bank has not yet honored the check I deposited into my personal account. 
In doing so, I incurred {$84000.00} in monetary damages. 

3. Closing the possibility of online access to my account and even without paper statements - I XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the US and make payments and receive receipts through the bank account. Preventing the possibility of online access to my account and even not giving me paper statements - causes me substantial and lasting injury in the inability to track tenant receipts, and the inability to make payments to IRS, taxes, HOA etc. This Chase practice prevents me from being able to make payments as per my obligation, being exposed to claims and paying fines. 
At this time, and because of the inability to log into the bank account, I can not fully appreciate the damages I would suffer as a result of the unfair practice of chase bank. 

4. The bank also instructed all its customer service representatives not to answer my questions. In doing so, the bank has, in fact, blocked all my options for logging into the bank account and receiving information about the account, and at this stage, I can no longer assess the full damages I have suffered due to Chase unfair practices. 

5. Denial of ability to activate my debit card - The bank 's representatives refused to activate my debit card. This has caused me financial damage, because I am not able to make payments using this payment method. 

6. Significant time and money expenses I had so far in International telephone calls with Chase representatives, and if I will be forced to travel to US in order to be identified by the Bank, it will cost me thousands of dollars in damages. 

B ) The bank 's allegations of non-identification are incorrect. 

1. During the many telephone conversations I had with chase representatives, I was repeatedly asked to provide answers to questions such as : my account number, my mailing and residential addresses, date of birth, debit card number etc and I provided correct answers to all these questions again and again in many phone calls. However, due to the instructions given on the computer to service representatives in Chase all the representatives told me they should not identify me by phone and I have to come in person to US to be identified. They also claimed that I have to provide my Social Security number, even though they know full well that I am not a US citizen and opened my account without a SS number. 
2. After sending a complaint by mail to Chase on XX/XX/2019, a Chase representative, on his own initiative, called me on XX/XX/XXXX on my mobile phone and we talked for 13 minutes. He identified me with a number of questions. I answered all his questions about my name, date of birth, my US mail address, my home address in XXXX, account number, debit card number and many specific details about my complaint, and after he personally identifying me, he said Chase will send me a reply letter within 15 days. 
So it is not true that my identification process failed!!! 

In light of this, I ask you to investigate and ascertain the identification by this Chase representative prior to their reply letter of XX/XX/19 and confirm that they indeed identified me. 


3. Although I have already undergone an identification process by a chase representative, chase bank replied to me on XX/XX/19 and wrote among other things that : " because you failed the verification, your online profile was restricted. Please contact us directly at XXXX so we can verify you. We have notated your account so we can make another attempt to verify you. Please note that if you fail the verification, your only option would be to step inside any of our branches so you could be verified ''. 

I wrote the Bank that I called the number as asked, and attempted to verify myself. I was told by the representatives, first by XXXX, and then by his supervisor XXXX, that they can not verify by phone, because I do not have a social security number. Im sure you can understand that this is both very vexing and surprising. It was known that I am not in the U.S., nor do a have a Social Security number, yet their suggestion to solve my problem was to call to be verified. '' In response to my letter the bank wrote me that : " When you called us on XX/XX/XXXX, you failed verification and we were not able to reactivate your online access. While we understand you reside in XXXX, we are unable to make an exception to our verification process. For us to remove the online restriction, you must visit a branch '' 5. In response to the many phone calls I made to Chase representatives, I was told that they were recording these calls. Chase has voice recognition, so obviously they recognized me on each of the many times I called them! My voice is unique, since my first language is XXXX and I have an accent when I speak English. 

6. All of the chase bank replies are sent to me by post, both to my US postal address in XXXX XXXX ( my sister is a US citizen 's and this is her address ) and to my home address in XXXX, XXXX. Also, the bank regularly sends me emails to my private email. 

How can the bank claim that it does not recognize me, when the bank communicates directly with me on my personal mobile phone and identifies me with identification questions by its representative, and the bank communicates directly with me in my personal e-mail, on a regular basis, and sends letters to my residential address in XXXX and my US mailing address??? 

Therefore, it is perfectly clear, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the misidentification allegation is wrong, and constitutes an unfair conduct by chase bank. 

C ) The injury is not reasonably avoidable by me ; 1. Throughout, chase representatives suggested to me to come to the US branch in America, even though I have explained many times that I can not do so because I do not live in the US. This is how chase wrote in his letter : " While we understand you reside in XXXX, we are unable to make an exception to our verification process. For us to remove the online restriction, you must visit a branch ... '' As I explained, a Chase offers to come to the United States is unreasonable and at this stage is impossible for me. 

2. Furthermore, why not allow a notarized identification by a consul at the US Embassy in XXXX? This is customary even by the IRS. 

3. The bank also refused to send me written statements, meaning that virtually all access to my account was blocked. 

4. Also, Chase has voice recognition. Voice recognition is a definite identification and even better than personal verification, so even if they do not have such identification, the CFPB must require them to adopt such identification. 


5. Finally, to avoid some of the damages that I incurred in not performing transfers from my account by chase, I deposited a check in my private account with XXXX XXXX. This check has not been honored to date by chase!!! 
I certainly should be allowed to transfer cash from my private account in Chase to my private account at XXXX XXXX? but Chase did not honor this deposit, contrary to his banking obligation. 


D ) The injury is not outweighed by benefits. 
Chase claims in his letter from XXXX : " On XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, you initiated two online wire transfers for {$25000.00} each. We suspended the transfers because we needed to verify additional information. Protecting our customers financial privacy, as well as their accounts, from unauthorized activity is our top priority '' I appreciate Chase 's concern to protect their customers from unauthorized actions, but because I have confirmed dozens of times verbally, and in 3 written letters that I was the one who performed these 2 wire transfers, which did not exceed the limit of transfers allowed by the bank, obviously this is not a fraud and there is nothing to protect! 

In light of this, there is no reason to continue to prevent me from accessing my account online. 
Surely preventing me from logging into my account does not protect me and only does me harm as I have described in this letter. 

In conclusion, I demand that CFPB should investigate the unfair conduct towards me by Chase Bank, and help me regain access to my online and written accounts, as well as to honor the checks I wrote in order to transfer cash from my account to my private account in XXXX XXXX in XXXX. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation