Consumer complaint received 2016-10-21
Company: BB&T CORPORATION
State: NJ
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Other bank product/service
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
I was a Susquehanna bank customer. I had a credit card with Susquehanna Bank serviced by XXXX XXXX. BB & T purchased Susquehanna Bank and all customers were " transitioned ''. We retained a credit card if we had XXXX. On XXXX XXXX 2016 I applied for a BB & T XXXX XXXX card with the sole purpose to use it as a low balance business card to make XXXX or less material purchases for my small business and take advantage of the 0 % introductory interest rate. I applied for the card IN PERSON at my local branch. I was immediately approved but for a very low credit limit. with a credit score of XXXX and a credit limit of XXXX on my current visa I asked why? My local banker called BB & T and they said they raised the credit limit to XXXX confirming it with my branch the next day. AT NO TIME was a balance transfer discussed. A few days later I received a letter from BB & T stating I had been approved for a XXXX with a credit limit of XXXX. 3 days later my card came, I activated it but did not make any purchases at that time. Upon checking my online balance a few days later on BB & T 's online banking website I noticed there was a XXXX balance on my new card. I immediately went to my local branch and questioned this. My banker noted that I was NOT the only person this happened to, and perhaps it was a glitch of some kind. When he called BB & T they said they were getting a high volume of calls about cards that day. My banker was connected to a supervisor of some kind and they stated I initiated a balance transfer. My banker then physically pulled the paper application I filled out for the card and signed and dated IN MY OWN HAND. The " balance transfer certificate '' section was BLANK. Upon further arguing back and forth BB & T faxed over a " new '' application that had the balance transfer certificate filled out in TYPE FACE and DID NOT HAVE MY SIGNATURE on it. My banker argued that I had not asked for the transfer, BB & T said they would waive the XXXX dollar finance charges on the transfer but that I was now responsible for the debt. No one can explain how or why the balance transfer happened or who authorized it. BB & T then claimed that once a customer signs a document that signature can be used on any other document they choose. With Susquehanna my monthly payment was under XXXX, this was within my very tight budget. The balance transfer nearly maxed out the new card, and brought my monthly payment up to nearly XXXX a month FAR outside my ever tightening budget, and it made the prospect of using the card impossible and further caused me financial hardship. They are unbending and uncooperative in helping me with this issue and left the blame for this incident on the branch and the banker who submitted the application. I was there and I NEVER asked for a balance transfer nor did the banker in question. BB & T corporate is at fault and should be blamed, investigated and reprimanded for their actions NOT my local banker or the local Branch.

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