Consumer complaint received 2021-03-05
Company: BANK OF THE WEST
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
Last year I took my XXXX mom through Bank of the west XXXX drive thru on XXXX XXXX XXXX We waited for over 5 mins for a teller to arrive and when she arrived-she refused my mom help advising me that they only used the drive thru because of Covid and the lobby being closed. I drove my mom around so that she can visit the lobby and her visit took 45 mins. So l had to go inside to check on her. 
-I spoke with the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) who " assured '' me and my mom no more issues. ( but things got worse ) On XX/XX/2021, I ( once again ) took my XXXX mom through Bank of the westXXXX drive thru on XXXX XXXX ( closer to my moms house ) and XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) approaches the window and begins to ask for an " account number '' or debit card which is something that my mom has " never '' had to furnish upon withdrawing her money ( widows benefits from my late father ) from her bank account. XXXX refused my mother assistance " until '' I explained ( my mom has problems reasoning due to XXXX ) to him that my mom would " always '' give the women tellers her ID ( and have her to sign the withdrawal slip ) XXXX kind of " still '' refused but then he asked us " who '' these ladies were that was helping my mom in the past and we advised that we had no idea but they were all nice ( except the heavy set woman that was rude to us before-mentioned above ) I became a little upset and I explained to XXXX ( this was my first time with " no cursing '' how I felt that we were not being treated fairly ) XXXX then gives my mom her balance ( like she asked but she was not finished with her transaction because she never made the withdrawal ) and then he disappears from the window. There were other cars in the drive thru as well so, After waiting for about 4 minutes and realizing XXXX was not coming back to the window to finish my mothers transaction-I got " very '' upset and drove out of the parking lot and back around to the front door. I went inside the branch and there were only " very few '' people inside ( a family sitting down talking to a teller and like 3 people in line ) There was 1 person at the teller window ( the XXXX XXXX XXXX ) I walked over towards the end of the teller windows and XXXX is sitting down at his desk. I advised XXXX that my mom was " still '' waiting to get a withdrawal. He came to the window and asked me to leave. This is when I became " very '' upset and I " did '' curse ( " I DON'T CARE IF I AM XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX OR " XXXX XXXX XXXX YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO STOP TREATING ME AND MY MOM LIKE THIS!! WE HAVE BEEN CUSTOMERS HERE FOR 2 YEARS OR MORE AND I HAVE ALOT OF MONEY TIED TO THIS PLACE FOR YOU TO TREAT US LIKE THIS!! ) -This is what I said ... in the drive thru-I made this " same exact '' statement but ... .with no cursing. And for me expressing my hurt as a customer ( because I was XXXX  against ) XXXX called the police and 3 officers arrived. XXXX XXXX Police XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) Once the XXXX arrived and XXXX began speaking with them directly in the lobby in front of customers and all, I called " XXXX '' over at the other Bank of the west branch on XXXX XXXX and let her know what was going on. She really didn't too much express any concerned but " she listened ''. FYI I was " never '' told not to come back to that branch but the officer " did '' make a statement " if I was a customer and they didn't treat me right, I would just go somewhere else '' ... I took my mother to the Bank of the west branch ( where I opened my business account ) and XXXX helped my mother the " same '' exact way that she was " used to '' -With " NO account number '' but ... her " ID ''. XXXX said that she would advise the XXXX over the XXXX branch of my concern.I didn't hear from her until almost 2 weeks later ( because I kept calling and calling ) Upon leaving, there was another customer at the ATM machine ( XXXX XXXX ) who advised that XXXX had " also '' called the police on her as well. XXXX sounds like he has issues dealing with his customers ( good " and '' bad ) He just " throws them to the police '' XXXX security never escorted me out either because " he knows '' that I am a " cool '' customer he stood next to me the whole time that the police were there ( seems like he was showing concern ) On XX/XX/2021 I received a letter from the Bank of the west XXXX way branch advising me that they were closing my business account along with ( 2 ) custodial accounts for my XXXX twins ( wow during a pandemic??? ) and I was not pleased with this but I accepted it. 

On around the week of Valentines Day, I went into the Bank of the west branch on XXXX way to cash in all of my Bank of the west cashier checks ( totalling {$45000.00} ) and while standing in line, I could see XXXX was on the right sitting at a desk while the tellers in the back were talking. When it was my turn, 2 tellers closed their windows ( I think 1 of them was XXXX ) and I could hear them asking : " Why is she here? '' and " What does she want? '' ( FYI-This was not the branch were the police were called ) so after waiting for a while some " other '' teller ( I guess one that they could find that wanted to help me ) comes to the window. I explained to her that since they were closing my accounts I wanted to cash in the cashier checks. She says " Oh you don't have a bank account with another bank that can cash them? '' XXXX XXXX XXXX so ... ... .I advised that I did not ( because I was not expecting them to dig into their system for my info to close out my accounts ) she goes to the back and comes to advise me that they did not have the money to cash the cashier checks ( totally {$45000.00} ) and that I would need to come back that following friday ( Oh and she confiscated my business debit card ) I never went back to cash them-I still have the cashier 's check that I will cash at a later time. 

Around XX/XX/2021 I received a call from XXXX ( XXXX ) who after hearing my situation saying that she " appreciates me admitting that I used a curse word '' ( really? What was I supposed to do? " Lie ''?? No because I " know '' I did " nothing wrong '' ) during this conversation XXXX " did '' acknowledge that we had spoken before about this issue with a few of her staff members at the XXXX XXXX branch. She " did '' advise that only " my '' account would be closed and not my twins due to it being an " XXXX '' funded account. 

On XX/XX/2021 I received a call from " XXXX '' from the Bank of the west on XXXX XXXX advising me that my twins " XXXX '' funded accounts were due to close and I needed to get the money out before they closed them. I advised XXXX of what XXXX and I had discussed and was told by XXXX that she would contact XXXX and call me back. I am still waiting for a call ... .. 

The " only '' questions that " I '' have are ( My mother is now in XXXX home so she can't speak for herself ) If I was not the customer on XX/XX/XXXX XXXXWhy was " my '' account closed? Oh I know why ... because when I went to the XXXX way branch to cash a {$6500.00} cashier check from Bank of the west the teller left me sitting in the drive thru ( without any warning ) for almost 7 minutes. I had to go into the branch to ask her what was going on but when I went inside the branch-she was still on the phone making sure that their bank of west cashiers check wasn't stolen ... ... ... .I was not the customer on XX/XX/XXXX at the XXXX XXXX so ... ... '' How '' did they even get my account or debit card information to close " anything ''? 

The letter states the reason that they closed my accounts was because " they have the right to do so '' however during the call with XXXX, she advised me that because I said the curse word ( " XXXX  '' when expressing myself about unfair treatment was the reason. I could have been restricted to not enter anymore branches and to just use the ATMS. I didnt have to even " need '' any teller assistance. I could have simply just been advised : " XXXX we would prefer for you to use the ATM from now on-Your access to our lobby has been restricted '' but to close my accounts ... ... ... ... .and my XXXX kids accounts ... ... ... .during a " pandemic '' is XXXX  but it just further confirms my suspicions. If Social security is not notified by the XXXX of the month of an account change-the money will go to the closed account and then we would have to wait weeks for my babies to get their XXXX money via check from the bank. ( Are you serious?? In a " pandemic??? '' Wow ) Funny I told XXXX this same story and she assured me that those accounts would be left alone.

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 explanation