Consumer complaint received 2023-05-19
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CT
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
Good Morning, I am writing this express my displeasure with the experience I had with Chase Bank on Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX. I had recently filed my XXXX tax return through XXXX XXXX and I made a human error of putting in the wrong checking account number ( the 4th number was off by one digit and should have been a XXXX instead of a XXXX ). I didn't realize this until XX/XX/XXXX, but a week prior I had called to speak to a customer service representative at Chase to check on my refund and they had told me it has not been received. As per the IRS.gov refund tracker, it stated that the amount of {$3700.00} should have been deposited into my account via Direct Deposit as of XX/XX/XXXX. There was also a payment for the amount of {$900.00} that should have been deposited as of XX/XX/XXXX, as per the NYS.gov refund tracker. The initial customer service representative told me to wait 21 days to see if the payment will be received. 

After waiting for a few days, I took the initiative to make sure everything was correct with the checking account number. I then realized the error and called Chase immediately to have the situation rectified. In my first call on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I was told that there is nothing they can do to have the payment rerouted and that I have to call the sender to have them retract the payment. I was told that the payment was already applied to another customer 's live account, which means Chase Bank did not verify the identity/name of the receiver for Federal and State Tax Refund. Even with human error, I believe this is a security concern for the best interest of the bank and its customers that needs to be addressed along with all of the information I am about to give you. 

I called the sender XXXX XXXX, which is a service used by XXXX XXXX to send payments for tax refunds. They stated that their bank ( XXXX XXXX XXXX  ) can not retract payments unless Chase Bank cancels the payment and the customer then provides them with a trace # to track the rejected Direct Deposit. On XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX I called Chase and got another representative in the claims department who told me that the payment was rejected on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX and gave me 7 digit claims number after I asked for a trace # for the alleged canceled direct deposit of the funds. After calling back to the XXXX XXXX, they told me this was supposed to be a 15 digit trace number so I then called back Chase at XXXX and got a claims specialist who told me that these funds were again deposited into the wrong customer 's live and active account without them verifying the identity. 

After being bounced back and forth between two entities that could not resolve my issue I began to get frustrated so I called again at XXXX, and asked to speak to a manager. I did not appreciate the lack of accountability that XXXX of the top banks and companies in the world had in regards to allowing my funds reach someone else 's account. The manager had even used words like " assuming that you're telling the truth '' after I was lied to by one of the representatives by them stating that these funds were rejected and returned. As if I wanted to spend my actual birthday trying to resolve an issue that could have been avoided by me and also a bank I've been banking with for close to 10 years. The manager reiterated that the funds can not be retrieved once they are in the possession of another customer, which I find to be a flawed policy which needs to be review. This is basically giving a customer who is not entitled to use my funds, entitlement to use funds that DO NOT belong to them. 

I had asked the manager to provide information or an employee ID for the employee that I could have reprimanded, and I totally understand why that information may or should not be given out. I do not appreciate the tone and the lack of initiative that I experienced by someone in the managerial position of a XXXX XXXX company. It would have been appreciated to have been pointed to the direction within this 40 minute call instead being told " I'm upset because I'm hearing what I want to hear '' or " I don't know what to tell you, there is nothing we can do for you. '' I asked him if it is in good business practice to have reps lying to the customer and he just gave me a corporate address to write a complaint. I was also hung up on by this same manager who took the call. After reaching out the IRS as my last resort and calling the bank one last time XXXX to see if they can have these funds returned to the IRS XXXX a claims specialist told me at this point I just have to go to the IRS with no further resolve or restitution. 

Needless to say, this was the WORST experience I ever had with Chase Bank because this is something that should never happen regardless of human error. With all of the identity and scams going on in today 's times there is no way there should be a lack of security, especially when it comes verifying or matching names and account numbers for a tax refund being deposited into a bank account. Whatever extra steps have to be taken in order to avoid these issues should be taken to avoid something like this in the future. The bank should always be the last SAFETY net when it comes the electronic transfer of funds.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation