Consumer complaint received 2022-05-16
Company: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
State: PA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Savings account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
I am requesting assistance from CFPB to have Marcus XXXX  pay its promised {$100.00} bonus that I signed up for on XX/XX/2022. I have contacted the bank about this matter. The bank insists that I signed up for the promotion after I funded the account. But the fact is I signed up for the promotion as I opened the account and before it was actually funded. I am providing the screen shots to prove this ( the bank did not ask for any proof from me ; they just simply denied the bonus ). 

I believe the denial has to do with a systemic error on the banks part. When I checked my interest on XX/XX/2022, Marcus asked me again to sign up for the promotion. Just to make doubly sure I was enrolled in the promotion, I clicked on the bar to enroll. Now Marcus is insisting that I enrolled in the promotion on XX/XX/XXXX, not when I opened and funded the account on XX/XX/XXXX ( even though the attached screen shots made on XX/XX/XXXX show otherwise ), so I am not entitled to the {$100.00} bonus. I believe that Marcus intentionally sent a confusing promotion to me on XX/XX/XXXX to sign up again so that it could eventually avoid paying the bonus -- -a classic bait-and-switch tactic. 

Here are the facts : I signed up for the {$100.00} promotion on XX/XX/2022 following the prompts as indicated ( see attached ). 

The required {$10000.00} was sent on XX/XX/2022 to my new Marcus account ( actual amount deposited was {$10000.00} ). This balance was maintained in the account more than the required 90 days. 

I had no reason to believe that I was not enrolled in the promotion, because I followed all of the prompts online for the promotional offer on XX/XX/2022. 

I checked my interest on XX/XX/2022. Marcus sent an additional offer to sign up for the {$100.00} bonus. Just to make sure I was enrolled, I clicked on the button to sign up for a second time on XX/XX/XXXX. 

When the promised {$100.00} bonus did not pay out on time, I called Marcus customer service on XX/XX/2022 and spoke to XXXX in Virginia. I was told that I funded the account before I enrolled in the bonus offer. When I stated that I actually enrolled in the offer when I opened and funded the account on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, the representative said it would be investigated, but never asked me for proof of the screen shots I took as I opened the account. I was told I would hear a response in 1-3 business days.

A representative never followed up on my case, so I called again on XX/XX/2022. XXXX told the same thing I was told originally : that I funded the account before I was enrolled. He also did not want proof of screen shots of my original enrollment in the promotion on XX/XX/XXXX and was not interested in helping me resolve this matter. 

I am a senior living on a fixed income. It appears that Marcus deliberately set up a system to take advantage of vulnerable customers like myself so it could concoct a reason to use my money at a low interest rate for three months without having to pay out the {$100.00} promotion. Would CFBP please ensure that Marcus is actually delivering on what they had promised by having them pay out the {$100.00} promotion to me? Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation