Consumer complaint received 2016-11-11
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: IN
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Problems caused by my funds being low

Complaint:
This is a desperate plea for help! Over {$14000.00} in overdraft fees! 

This formal complaint is to inform any and all who will listen ... that I am drowning in overdraft charges. I am at the end of my rope. I have exhausted all of my loan options just to try to stay afloat. 

My business is on the verge of going under. And single handed, at the hands of disgraceful shady practices of Fifth Third Bank. 

Here is where it all started. These were my experiences that led to my situation with Fifth Third Bank : 1 ) One or more ( usually my main ) checking account ( s ) not being available ... not showing up in the mobile deposit option through the 5/3 app. As if they know I 'm about to go into the negative and they 're preventing me from making good beforehand. Even before their " cut-off times ''. 
2 ) Fifth Third Bank has disabled the ability to take a screenshot ( in the app ), most likely to prevent customer 's from being able to show proof. However, I 've taken pictures. 
3 ) ATMs not being available ( out of order ) usually on the same day/night. I also have pictures of this. This is what started everything over 2 years ago and it has spiraled every since. 
4 ) When an ATM is available, it has declined the acceptance of checks. I have pictures. It has also not accepted CASH. It just simply grays the 'cash ' option out. 
5 ) It does not appear deposits are being posted first. 
6 ) It is very apparent that transactions are being reordered, in order to benefit Fifth Third Bank the most, as they are then able to maximize the amount of overdraft fees they charge. I also have pictures of this. It 's obvious in the app AND desktop view. 
7 ) Their merchant services company, Vantiv ( either owned by 5/3 or partners ) process the credit card company fees separate from the 'credits ', so each very small amount ( XXXX cents or {$1.00}, etc. ) gets processed separate and ALWAYS last. So if the account is already in the negative ( or about to be ), there is a unique/separate overdraft charge for these transactions. Other banks / merchant services deduct those credit processing transaction fees FROM the 'credits ' and THEN deposit the remaining. The way Fifth Third Bank does it, this increases and maximizes the overdraft fee potential. 
8 ) Also, they do n't seem to have a daily or even " instance '' MAX on how many overdraft fees can be charged. Other banks have a max. I 've recently checked. This has caused overdraft charges to pile up as high as {$220.00} in one single instance. 

I 've added ALL of the overdraft fees that have been charged to me by Fifth Third Bank over the period of 24 months. Between both personal and business accounts, this has totaled over {$14000.00}. This is an absolute outrage. 

I have a XXXX now. I can barely keep it together. I can barely pay off the overdraft fees each week, let alone my regular bills and expenses. I have somehow ( I have no idea how ) managed to keep each account active. Bringing them back out of the negative each time. But I 'm at a point where I no longer think I can do that. Not without some help. This has almost put me under. The next step, seriously, it being put OUT OF BUSINESS & then HOMELESS!

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief