Consumer complaint received 2023-10-31
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
I received a letter from Chase in late XXXX XXXX that my business account will be closed and to transfer my funds to a different financial institution. In the letter there was a number to call for any information on the matter.
I called the number that I was asked to call and was first told the account wasnt closing, then the agent said that yes the account would be closing but that its usually sixty days from the day the letter was sent and that it wasnt even 25 days on the day that I called, I believe it was XXXX XXXX XXXX.

I called again on XX/XX/ and spoke to another agent who said that my account wasnt being closed, I asked why then I got the letter and was told that the matter had been resolved. I ask him to double check then he said that it appears that the account will be closing and when I asked when he said XXXX XXXX ( clearly there was no XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX.
I was told only the branch can call them to ask for an extension of time to enable me sort out all transactions on that account so I asked him to connect me to my branch and he couldnt get the branch on his system so he transfered me to another departments to help with that. The lady there asked what the issue was and I told her and after verifying me, she said there was nothing wrong with my account and I told her I was told it will be closing , she put me on hold to speak to a branch banker then came back and said that she didnt know why they told me that my account was closing that she was assuring me 100% that it wasnt . With that sort of assurance anybody would just forget about it but knowing how inefficient and disorganized chase bank is , I called again on MondayXX/XX/ and spoke with other agents that first wasnt sure then said that the account will be closed but they still couldnt say when and they all advised that I transfer my funds in order to have access to them immediately etc. the same day I tried to initiate a transfer with the customer service department but the call dropped and since she already showed me how to get it done from my online banking, I initiated the transfer the next day and it was successfully done and just to be on the safe side, I called chase and asked about the transfer I just made and they confirmed that yes it was done and in process. The next day I got an email from the bank informing me that the transfer was delayed but it will keep processing and that I will be contacted if they require any information.

Five days after, I woke up to an email saying that the transfer was canceled and to call a number in order to avoid further restrictions on my account. I was surprised because I thought we were ending the relationship and I was asked to transfer my money out of the bank and now the same bank is making that impossible.
I called the number and the agent, again , couldnt give me any information other than he didnt know why the transfer was canceled and that there was restriction already on my account. He said that they will send a check by the end of the month, I told him I didnt want a check I want my money immediately as I needed to run my business and my life, also I didnt have another business account, I was in XXXX  and wouldnt be able to cash the check if it was written in the company name which one of the chase agent had also mentioned that because of this it was best to transfer my funds. 
The agent then said what he would do was to make sure that the check was sent in my name because I was verified, my international passport was used to open the account etc. he assured me that he would follow up the case and make sure the check was written in my name .

The same day a certain XXXX  called me from the executive office ( I had sent an email),  I told her that I already spoke with someone etc. she said she would investigate my complaints and get back to me if she needed any more information.
About eleven days after XXXX called to say that the check had been mailed to me and that it would take seven to ten days to get to me . Then I asked if the check was sent in my name and was absolutely shocked when she said No even though I was assured it will be written in my name .  Clearly this bank delights in inflicting pain and trauma on its customers..  suddenly I was traumatized because it seems chase bank was bent on keeping my money for as long as they can.  Right on that call I was feeling sick and could barely XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX..
I asked her why the transfer was canceled in the first place when it was the bank that advised that I transfer my funds. She said that the transfer wasnt consistent with the terms of that checking account and I asked if the terms were new, if they werent in place when chase asked that I transfer my funds and when the chase customer agent showed me how to make that transfer, of cause she couldnt come up with a response to that ( they actually think people are stupid). She said a manager at the executive office will call but no one did until I sent an email then I got a call from a certain XX/XX/XXXX from the executive office who was very rude and arrogant just like the bank. He couldnt tell me why the transfer was canceled and when I asked why the check was written in the company name when I was assured that it will be written in my name , he said maybe the company doesnt belong to me anymore which I thought was the most senseless and ludicrous thing. The account was opened with my international passport and I am verified each time I call, the debit card bears my name and the company name and suddenly because there is a substantial amount of money in the account it is no longer mine because a black woman is not supposed to have a certain amount of money sitting in their account? How insulting!!! I told him this case should escalate to the highest authority of the bank and he said, in an arrogant way, that they make decisions for XX/XX/ the CEO so theres nowhere else to go.

Clearly chase bank is not ready to take any responsibility for its inefficiency. they sent me a letter of closure and ask that I call a number, I would have thought that anyone who picks that call would have the right information for me but I was given all the wrong informations and if not that I kept calling I would have gone thinking my account wasnt getting closed after all. then they went and canceled my transfer without any plausible explanation, and after assuring me that the check will be written in my name so that I can have access to my funds they went ahead and wrote it in the company name so that they can hold on to my money for as long as possible

If I wasnt qualified to open an account with the bank, they should never have opened the account in the first place because it was my international passport that was used to open that account and they verify me every time I call but suddenly the account doesnt belong to me anymore and I am not qualified to have my name on a check for my own hard earned money. They dont have to spell it out but clearly this is racist and hateful.

Even the check they claim to have mailed out since XXXX XXXX was nowhere to be found . I had to call Chase again ( for my health I had  been avoiding calling them) on Monday XX/XX/ and left a message for XX/XX/XXXX, she didnt call back so I called again on XXXX XXXX and she said she will find out what was going on with the check and let me know. I told her to track it but she said they couldnt track it. I never heard back from her.
Some hours after, XX/XX/XXXX called and rudely asked why I was still corresponding with the bank and that as far as Chase was concerned they were done with me, I was beyond shocked!!! I thought he was calling because his colleague had told him I hadnt received the check but clearly he was calling to be rude and insulting when I told him I hadnt received the check he asked are you telling me that you havent received the funds  I told him that I dont give conflicting information that only Chase was allowed to do that and I would say it again and again that I hadnt received any check from them and the only reason why I am still talking to this bank at all was because they still had my money and for as long as the money was  not in my bank account or in my pocket, they have it. Then he said the only thing he could do was to cancel the check and reissue it .. I told him there was no way that I could possibly wait another month to receive my money I transferred my funds and they blocked the transfer and all their misinformation and laxity created the mess and they were all moving on and expecting me to find a way to deal with the mess! 
I also asked if I could cash the check at a chase branch with all the ID that was used to open the account andXX/XX/XXXX said No that chase doesnt cash business checks, that was such a shock since the check originated from them. 
He said he will find out if they can expedite the check by sending via XX/XX/XXXX which  is what they should have done in the first place (A check with well over XXXX was sent via regular mail and yet you claim to be high on security). 
Again, he never got back to me and when I called back on Friday XXXX XXXX, he told the operator to pass me to his answering machine!! 
The last time I spoke to this same XX/XX/XXXX, I dont know what button he pressed or what lie he told but I suddenly heard the machine saying that I had been abusive and not to call them again. Stunning how chase bank that was abusive and discriminatory towards me  denied me access to my own funds for almost months, causing me financial and emotional stress was claiming that I had mbeen abusive!!!!  Of course if they didnt have my money I would have no business calling them.

The executive office of chase is even worse than the other agents they claim to check.They claim to have used my feedback to investigate and make corrections but the question is at whos benefit all they say is sorry you were misinformed etc but theres nothing we can do you go and sort out the mess we created.

The whole stress of not having access to my hard earned money, not being able to run my small business of many years, the disdain and inhumane treatment  and discrimination from chase finally took a toll and I miscarried!! My husband and I are devastated and depressed and bent on getting justice because nobody, not even a big corporation, should be allowed to get away with injustice.

I suffered tremendous XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX since this incident. I am just gradually beginning to recover.

I reported to the XXXX XXXX XXXX but Chase bank discounted that complaint because, obviously, they know that the XX/XX/XXXX has no power to call them to order.

The foregoing, clearly shows how mindless, cruel, inefficient and disorganized Chase bank is and also how arrogant to think that they can perpetrate such injustice and discrimination on a customer with impunity because in their mind I am too small to sue a big corporation.. THEY WANTED TO END THE RELATIONSHIP BUT HOLD ON TO MY MONEY FOR AS LONG AS THEY POSSIBLE COULD JUST TO BE MEAN.


XXXX- on XXXX XXXX XXXX, I found the first check they claimed to have sent somewhere in my building and it turns out it was wrongly addressed ( I will present it if needed). Chase had my correct address on file!!! This further proves how careless, inefficient, disorganized and cruel this bank is.

I have some of my correspondence with chase ( letters and recorded telephone conversations)

I write this petition for you to investigate this matter and bring chase bank to book.

Thank you
XX/XX/

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation