Consumer complaint received 2015-07-15
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: OH
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Cashing a check without an account
Issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
My complaint is in regards to being forced to deposit a Chase Bank issued cashiers check in its entirety into my Chase Bank account accompanied with a hold. I was told to do so without explanation at another bank branch ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, OH XXXX ), by the branch manager of the name of XXXX. I could not understand how the implementation of such a policy on a Chase Bank issued bank check was fair to a customer who did not have an account let alone XXXX who did. Customers without an account can walk in the bank and request the check to be honored and cashed in full. I asked the teller to speak to the person who was telling her to do it. The teller could offer no explanation. I asked the gentleman whose name I did not know at the time or title ... if Chase Bank was experiencing problems with the printing of their own bank checks? He stated.. " hold on '' I will give you the money. I was requesting twenty percent of the amount in cash. He offered no explanation of the criteria he never gave me his name or a criteria he used to subject me to such a procedure and walked away. I then asked the teller what would happen to the balance. She stated to her knowledge the balance would continue to have a hold placed on it. The apparent subjectivity of the bank policy and the way it was handled led me to feel I was being profiled, held to some standard that I could only attribute to being an XXXX XXXX female, with her XXXX. I happened to be ill that morning and just ran out to pick the check up from daughters. I stopped at that particular branch location because it was on my route home. I had never been there before. The blatant subjective treatment upset me to the point, I asked the teller to return my check to me. I told her I would take the cashiers check to the branch where I normally transacted my business. As I left, I asked her the name of the man who spoke to me. I was so rattled, I drove off with the banks drive through canister. And when I arrived at my local branch, I got out of my car and locked it with the ignition running. I went to customer service and spoke to XXXX. He was extremely consoling and apologetic, to the point of trying to call over to the branch and speak to XXXX, because he could not explain why it happened either. He was told XXXX was unavailable. I expressed as clearly as I could, .... as a customer ... .I should not have to worry about what branch I walked into to be treated fairly. He in turn allowed me to speak to the branch manager XXXX. She would convey she was personal friends with the person she would reach out to contact me in regards to my concern. I waited XXXX hours no one contacted me. I went back to the bank and closed out my account. But, the closing of my account proved very inconvenient and I returned and reopened the account XXXX weeks later. I would see the branch manager again ( XXXX ), a week later and state to her again, I still wanted to make the formal complaint. She stated I had closed my account which prevented the follow through prior. But, the person I needed to speak with was on vacation and she would see if she could reach out to someone else. It is apparent Chase Bank is fostering a climate of indifference which is generating complacency and affording their employees protection accompanied with the ability to wield subjective policies towards individuals of color. My complaint is Chase Bank will not allow a customer to submit a formal complaint when subjected to unfair practices that subject him/her to treatment without explanation. Treatment that boils down to a person can be subjectively treated in a manner because of their race. The expressions and actions of Chase Bank branch managers, have left me no other alternative but, to believe my assessment to be true.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation