Consumer complaint received 2021-09-01
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: KY
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
At XXXX am on XX/XX/XXXX, I was about to fall asleep when I received a debit notification from my bank about a {$720.00} debit transaction and I instantly panicked because I had not purchased anything at all during that time, let alone from XXXX. I know this because, as my banking history clearly reflects, I dont use XXXX for purchasing anything personally. I dont even like XXXX. I only keep it because I have a few international clients and its the only way they can pay my invoices. So, the money is ALWAYS incoming, not outgoing with XXXX. Aside from that, as I said, I had not purchased ANYTHING from XXXX that moment or even that day. Since it was the middle of the night, I had to wait until the morning to try to get some help. At XXXX XXXX  I first called XXXX but that was only to find out that they are closed on weekends! So, at XXXX XXXX, I called BBVA and immediately informed them that I DID NOT authorize that transaction, nor did I have any knowledge of what it was for, or how it could have possibly been charged. The first lady I spoke with said she could file the dispute but theyd have to close my card. So, I informed her to please give me a couple hours to grab some cash out of the ATM to live on for a few days and then after I did that, I immediately called BBVA back and told them to FILE THE FRAUD DISPUTE! However, several days later, when I called to check the status of the refund and ask if they could please expedite it because I was very low on funds, the second person I spoke with in the dispute department advised me that the first lady had closed the dispute and denied it because she lied and said that I told her to forget about it. I NEVER SAID THAT. This was on or about XX/XX/XXXX. That person told me HE would then file the dispute. But when I called AGAIN on XX/XX/XXXX, I was informed YET AGAIN by YET ANOTHER BBVA person that the second person had also failed to file the dispute. That guy then told me HE had filed the dispute but when he wanted to give me the confirmation number, I advised him I was driving on the interstate and I asked if he could please email me a confirmation. He said, No. We dont do that at this bank. We can not confirm anything. Either write it down, or forget it. I again informed him it was unsafe to do that on the interstate ( XXXX XXXX near XXXX the windiest road out there ). He again confirmed he had filed the dispute verbally. THEN, 7 days later, on XX/XX/XXXX, when I STILL had not received my money back, I called and spoke with XXXX at BBVA. He was actually very pleasant to talk to and promised hed help me. He even said everything BBVA was doing to me was wrong, and he was not only going to file the dispute, he was going to escalate it AND send an email that moment to the investigator and ask them to please take care of my case IMMEDIATELY after all Ive been through. This time, I really thought it was going to be taken care of. But I called today to check the status and I was informed that BBVA had just decided to DENY my claimed dispute. When I asked the reason for this denial, he scoffed at me and said, I dont have to give you that information. But I will. They decided that its NOT fraudulent and that you lied about the fact that it was actually YOU who made the purchase on XX/XX/XXXX. Of course, I got very upset over this. I began crying and I explained that Ive been entirely BROKE for the past 2-3 weeks because of this situation, and I also explained that beyond having - {$6.00} in my checking account BECAUSE OF THEM, my utilities are going to be turned off if I dont pay my bill by XXXX XXXX  tonight! He laughed at me then hung up. Thats when I called today and spoke with a nice lady in your department who advised me to file this complaint. Basically, BBVA has withheld {$720.00} of MY MONEY that was fraudulently pulled from my account. And when I tried to file the dispute WITHIN HOURS of finding out about it, I was put through the ringer for over 3 weeks! I was mocked, laughed at, lied to, yelled at, called names, hung up on, you name it. This is the worst bank Ive ever dealt with and Im trying to get as far away from them as possible, but I cant do that until I get my money back! And its already too late. I am XXXX. Im XXXX. I live alone. And unless I sign a client AND get their payment tonight by XXXX XXXX  and can pay my bills, my utilities will be shut off. And its bad enough that I live here, but my business is run from here, and without power, I wont be able to work and earn a living. All because BBVA has basically stolen money from my account, or at least, when XXXX stole money from my account and I disputed the transaction with BBVA, they have arbitrarily denied to return my money to me. Not only that, theyve literally treated me like human garbage since day one. All I want is my money back. All I want is for SOMEONE SOMEHWERE TO CARE and to help me get my money back. That {$720.00} would at least pay my bills and help me catch back up. I make too much money to be this broke. But thats a lot of money to lose in an instant. And I trusted BBVA to protect my money. And I dont understand their refusal to do the right thing, considering its no loss to them as they are federally insured. PLEASE HELP.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief