Consumer complaint received 2022-08-14
Company: DISCOVER BANK
State: MD
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
To whom this may concern, I opened a Discover It card that requires a security deposit. I was ill-advised this is something I should do to establish credit when it was entirely unnecessary as my credit score was in good standing at the time of application with Discover on XX/XX/XXXX. It appears the account was closed yesterday after telling Discover almost daily over the phone to close it since Saturday, XX/XX/XXXX. On the XXXX, I was told the case was still pending so I said great, go ahead and deny it out and close it as I do not want the card and refund my {$2200.00} security deposit as quickly as humanly possible by crediting it back to my bank checking account. 

Here is what has happened since I made that request. I was told by two employees in the Arizona Office that we have to actually go ahead and finalize and approve your card before we can close it. I was baffled and told them why they cant just deny the application per my request. Neither gave me an answer. I was then told that I would receive an email that takes 24 hours to receive which sounded odd to me because every email Ive ever sent or received in my life happened instantly. Anyway, by mid day Monday the 24 hour email from Saturday had not arrived. Discover also did not provide me a case number or any other kind of communication that the case was closed. I was told on Saturday the XXXX that there are case notes here sir documenting everything. I was highly dissatisfied after a couple hours on the phone with both of them. 

On Monday, XXXX, I spoke to a Delaware Discover employee who was blatantly rude. She refused to transfer me to the correct department for a security deposit refund. She also claimed she couldnt send the 24 hour email but was putting a note in the system for someone to send another one to take 24 hours. She was adamant it was sent despite me telling her after confirming that they sent it to the correct email address that I had not received it. 

I spoke again with Discover on Tuesday and was told by an Ohio supervisor XXXX XXXX XXXX that she had sent another email while I was on the line to take 24 hours. I finally exploded on the phone and was completely irate yesterday and spent 2 hours and 45 minutes transferred to at least five different employees. The last employee had no answer and simply stated that emails can take 24 or 48 hours to receive. When I caught him changing the number of hours and how I still didnt have any email six days after starting all of this last Saturday he had no answer. 

Here is the present status of the case. I received a letter in the mail today that the case is closed. They sent me an approval letter yesterday with the card which I have cut up for security of course. That approval letter should never have been sent because not only did I want it closed the case was incomplete. I never provided necessary identity requested by Discover to XXXX. I never submitted my drivers license or income verification for the card that they requested to verify my identity. Discover had no answer for this when asked. 

I do not know or trust that Discover will refund all of my {$2200.00} security deposit. Credit cards come with a lot of fees and fine print. Nobody said they would charge me anything since the card was never activated let alone used. Their word on the phone does not mean anything. I am still receiving reminder emails from XXXX for the fourth consecutive day today so I unsubscribed today after telling them to stop as I did not go through with the card.

If I receive one cent less than the full security deposit I want to know if this agency can help me and get involved in the matter. If I should also contact another agency such as a state attorney generals office in which Discover is headquartered, please let me know if that is the more appropriate action. 

Discover also has lied about refund dates for my security deposit. Last Saturday the XXXX I spoke to in Arizona ( who I have come to find out dont even process those returns- they occur through the Ohio office ) said I would get it by this Tuesday or Wednesday ( the XXXX or XXXX ). I am now forecasted to receive it XX/XX/XXXX which they are calling expedited service and a favor to me. They are also sending the check out to my house and not returning it directly to my checking account- which was the manner in which it was withdrawn. The check will also come through the Postal Service despite my pleading for it to come through a carrier like XXXX or XXXX. However, if a person uses this card and gets their deposit returned after 6 months of good use, they allow the customer to receive the deposit back in the manner the customer prefers. This does not seem appropriate granted how shady Discover was in pushing through this card to me when the case was incomplete and I also requested denial/closure when it was still pending and they could have readily done that by simply pushing a button. 

At the moment I have about 6-8 hours invested and hope I will receive full repayment of my {$2200.00} security deposit. I know it may seem that I am filing a complaint too soon as the XXXX has not arrived yet but I do not want to wait as Discover has committed several unethical or illegal practices to warrant me writing this in my mind. They should not be giving ordinary Americans this kind of treatment, especially when they are one of the largest corporations in the US and I have done absolutely nothing wrong on my part. 

Thank you so much for your time in reading this. Hopefully I will receive full payment no later than the XXXX of XXXX as promised by Discover and will not need to contact this agency any further. If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to contact me. 

Respectfully, XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation