Consumer complaint received 2019-03-13
Company: REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: VA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
I moved out of Regions ' geographic area and so I needed to close my account via phone. 
1 ) My first attempt was on XX/XX/XXXX. The woman on the phone appeared to handle everything appropriately, consolidated my checking and savings accounts, and let me know that my account would close in 2-3 business days and that I would have the cashiers check for the remaining balance within 7-10 business days after my account closed. Unbeknownst to me, Regions apparently has a policy that they can't close an account with over {$1000.00} in it over the phone, so my closing was rejected. No one from Regions attempted to contact me to inform me of this, despite having my phone number, email address, and mailing address. 
2 ) My second attempt was on XX/XX/XXXX, by which time I had realized that something had clearly gone wrong. I again called the Regions customer service line and spoke with XXXX ( a different representative ) who let me know their policy about closing an account via phone with over {$1000.00} and  apologized profusely that no one had told me and that no one had contacted me. 
3 ) I then transferred money out of my account to bring the balance down to {$550.00}, so that the account could be closed. This balance was further reduced as of XX/XX/XXXX, as Regions had the audacity to charge a maintenance fee for not meeting the account minimum balance for it to be free. 
4 ) On XX/XX/XXXX, I called Regions a 3rd time to close my account. I was promised that the account would close between 1-2 business days, although my account did not formally close in  their system until XX/XX/XXXX, a full 4 business days later ( I was logging in to check every day ). 
5 ) I was then out of the country for an extended period of time and assumed that I would have my check waiting for me when I arrived home. This was not the case, so I made my 4th call to Regions on XX/XX/XXXX. I spoke with XXXX, who let me know that my check should have been issued and she referred me to XXXX XXXX, a manager within the XXXX regional office. 
6 ) XXXX called me on XX/XX/XXXX to verify my address and promised a call back the next day. I called her on XX/XX/XXXX after the close of the business day and left her a voicemail, since I had not heard from her. She called me back that evening to let me know that she was still waiting on an email response from someone else and that she would update me when she could. She also informed me that there was another person 's check that they had never received from that same day, questioning if perhaps there had been some issue at that office. 
7 ) XXXX and I spoke again on XX/XX/XXXX when she informed that in order to get a new check issued, I would have to sign and notarize an Indemnity Form stating that I had never received the original check and mail it back to their office and only then would they issue a second, replacement check. I questioned why this was necessary, given that they could see that the check had not been cashed and they could simply cancel the check, but I was assured that this was the only way. 
8 ) XX/XX/XXXX, I left XXXX a message because I had still not received the Indemnity Form nor the check. I never received a call back from XXXX. 
9 ) On XXXX, I left XXXX another voicemail. She called me back and informed me that she had sent a follow up email to the person responsible for sending the form, but that the records show that it had been sent via certified mail on XX/XX/XXXX ( 8 business days ago ). As of today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) this was my last contact with XXXX. 
10 ) Frustrated by the continuing situation, I sent an email to Regions general customer service mailbox on XX/XX/XXXX. I received a response the next day ( XX/XX/XXXX ) informing me that I would have to use their secure email server in order to discuss anything with my account. I attempted to log into Regions customer portal but my account is no longer active because it had been so long since my account closed. Email was no longer a viable means of contacting Regions. 
11 ) XX/XX/XXXX, I called the Regions line for 5th time ( excluding my phone calls with XXXX ) and spoke with XXXX. He was very helpful and sent an email to a supervisor while we were on the phone together. He informed me that a supervisor would reach out to me the next day but that I should call back to check on the status within 1-2 business days. I did not receive a phone call from any such supervisor on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX also confirmed that my address had been changed in the system, an action that required him to ask me several questions to verify my identity ( former addresses, family ages, etc. ) I bring this up because this is the first time in this long process that anyone has done this and it struck me as odd that this step would be required now, when I had previously verified my new address multiple times with various other representatives. 

As of XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, I have not received any further contact from XXXX XXXX, I have not received any follow up call from another supervisor, and I have not received either the original cashiers check or the Indemnity Form. I have been actively trying to close my account for 3.5 months and my money has been in an inaccessible limbo for over 2 months.

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