Consumer complaint received 2021-01-23
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: VA
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
Hello, I was shocked to learn for the first time on Thursday XXXX XX/XX/XXXX that Fifth Third Bank has inaccurately reported that my XX/XX/XXXX mortgage payment for XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, VA was 30 days late. Fifth Third Bank 's inaccurate and patently unfair actions have negatively impacted my credit score in a way that does not accurately reflect my mortgage payment history which is 100 % on time or my creditworthiness. 

My XX/XX/XXXX payment was not late. The payment was due no later than XX/XX/XXXX and the payment was made electronically and accepted by the bank on XX/XX/XXXX in the amount of {$4000.00}. Not until mid-XXXX  XXXX did they send me a check in the amount of {$4000.00} without explanation. When I received the check, I contacted the bank via their website for an explanation, thinking the check may have been excess money I had paid over the year. 

I then learned that unbeknownst to me, Fifth Third Bank had increased my monthly mortgage payment by {$48.00} without providing appropriate notice. My monthly payments were and are automatically debited from my bank so the previous amount of {$4000.00} was sent on time for XX/XX/XXXX. 

Without any notice or request for the addition {$48.00}, the bank refused the payment by sending a paper check to my home in the amount of {$4000.00} that arrived around XX/XX/XXXX without further explanation. I received no other notice of any problem with my XX/XX/XXXX mortgage payment. Please note that by the time Fifth Third Bank sent this check without explanation more than 30 days had passed from when they received the payment. Therefore, I had no notice and no opportunity to pay the {$48.00} within the 30-day window of the due date. From a customers perspective, there was no reason for me to know there was a problem. 

Upon receiving the check for {$4000.00} from Fifth Third Bank in XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted an inquiry via the banks website on XX/XX/XXXX requesting clarification. Fifth Third Bank responded on XX/XX/XXXX that confused my XX/XX/XXXX payment for my XX/XX/XXXX payment and stating other inaccurate information about receiving a payment on XX/XX/XXXX. I can only assume this is another human error made by the bank that was meant to refer to the payment they receive on XX/XX/XXXX. This lack of attention to detail on the part of Fifth Third Bank is telling. 

Despite the banks clear mistakes, I resubmitted the XXXX payment plus the payment due for XXXX in the amount of {$8100.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. Having fixed the banks mistake, I believed this to the end of the story. Unfortunately, that was not the case. 

When I learned that Fifth Third Bank had inaccurately reported my XX/XX/XXXX payment as being 30, I immediately reached out to Fifth Third Bank to have them correct this further mistake on their part. XXXX, the Fifth Third Bank Customer Service Manager, had the nerve to tell me directly that we do this often to our customers. Despite these facts and my request, Fifth Third Bank has refused to take any action to correct their mistake or remove the false information from my credit report. I continue to escalate this with bank management and intend to see this through until they correct the false information. Nevertheless, Fifth Third Banks intransigence means this will take time. 

I will including my written correspondence with Fifth Third Bank from XX/XX/XXXX as well as my XXXX XX/XX/XXXX mortgage statements from Fifth Third Bank which will verify above. 

If the undisputed facts were not enough alone, let us not forget that we are literally talking about a difference of {$48.00} that was paid immediate upon first notice. How can this be the reason to report someones mortgage as late in the midst of a global pandemic? How can this be the reason to lower someones credit score in the face of decades of on time payments on this and other mortgages? Finally, how can this be the reason to deny someones otherwise qualified construction loan application? A holistic review of the situation demonstrates the self-evident unfairness of such an outcome. 

Therefore, I expect Fifth Third Bank to immediately make the correction and remove the inaccurately reported late payment for XX/XX/XXXX from all three national credit bureaus. 

Sincerely, XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation