Consumer complaint received 2021-10-12
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: CO
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:
I received a letter in the mail from US Bank in early XXXX that stated my credit card had been closed due to inactivity. When I had time to call them, I contacted the US Bank credit card company to request to re-open my closed account. I called on XX/XX/XXXX to make this request and was told I was not able to re-open the card/account over the phone and that I would have to submit either a letter in the mail or via fax to request the account be re-opened. I was told I needed to include the request as well as my annual income, whether I rent or own, and my portion of the monthly mortgage/rental payment. I was not informed of this needing to be done by a specific timeframe. 

I submitted this request via fax on XX/XX/2021. When I called in to verify my fax was received, I was told I would receive something in the mail as to the decision. The decision I received was that I was outside of 30 days and could not re-open the account. I wanted more information and to express frustration at not being told about needing to have this done in 30 days, so I reached out to US Bank again. The person I spoke to on the phone that day for about 30 minutes tried to explain the process, but during the phone call, realized I attempted to re-open the account over the phone on XX/XX/XXXX but I was told that was not possible. She informed be that they absolutely could have re-opened the account over the phone and they would take another look at this because of the error. 

Naturally, I received a letter about one week later saying the request was outside of 30 days. I again called US Bank at this time ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to try to understand this as nothing more was said in the letter. I spoke to another female that morning that tried to explain that there was nothing they could do since it was outside 30 days ( despite multiple attempts within 30 days ). After the conversation going nowhere, I asked to speak to a supervisor ( the female I spoke to to begin the call was the 4th or 5th person to tell me something different about the process to re-open an account ).

When speaking with the supervisor ( XXXX, I believe ), she informed me that it wasn't the fault of the first person I spoke to about saying the card could not be re-opened over the phone because, " They don't know that is an option. '' Of course, this was very frustrating as I was speaking to the credit card services for US Bank when I was told there was no way to re-open the account over the phone despite that absolutely being an option. 

As the phone call with the supervisor continued, I was told that the fax I submitted was outside of the 30 days window ( again, never informed of this in any letter about the account being closed or in my first phone calls with US Bank ). I asked the supervisor when the fax needed to be submitted, which I was told was XX/XX/XXXX. I told her that is when I submitted the fax as I submitted it from my office before I left for the day, and I did not work on XX/XX/XXXX, which is the day they claimed they received the fax. I asked her if I still had my transmittal page showing the date/time I sent the fax, if that would show I was within the 30 day window ( basically like a postdate on a letter ). She said that if I still had it, I should fax it in to show that it was sent on XX/XX/XXXX, not XX/XX/XXXX. 

This last Wednesday ( XX/XX/XXXX ), I sent the transmittal page in via fax and the reference number I was provided during my discussion with the supervisor. I called in today to just check whether they had received the fax or not, but was told they did receive but nothing could be done as it is outside of the 30 day period. I tried to discuss with the male on the phone ( XXXX, I believe ) what had transpired over, at this point, six phone calls I believe. He was intentionally vague and just said it was outside of 30 days so there is nothing that will be done at this point. I explained to him my numerous discussions with US Bank prior ( lack of knowledge by certain service members, being told numerous different conflicting things, what the last supervisor I spoke to told me I needed to do, etc. ) and that I was told if the fax shows it was XX/XX/XXXX, that would be within 30 days. 

After just trying to get me off the phone and telling me I have to apply for a new card, he said now the fax needed to be sent one day prior to XX/XX/XXXX. 

I pretty much gave up at this point and eventually hung up the phone. I have never seen such horrific customer service/knowledge of one 's product from a company in my life. They were all very nice over the phone and XXXX was somewhat professional enough despite trying to end the conversation 15 seconds into us talking but how am I the one being punished in a situation that I have tried to rectify over-and-over again based on the information I'm give that has been wrong each time. All I am trying to do is re-open an account that has been with US Bank for 12 years and each phone call has led to another incorrect statement or withholding information from the account holder. 

Simply put, if you are going to put a deadline on something, make the consumer aware of this deadline at any point between multiple phone calls and letters. And when you do wrong by telling your consumer something can not be done that easily could have been done that day within 5 minutes ( told to me by another US Bank representative ), just admit your wrongdoing and make it right. 

This account should have been re-opened within 30 days based on numerous attempts by me, but US Bank keeps finding ways to say no.

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