Consumer complaint received 2020-04-17
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: WA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Deposits and withdrawals

Complaint:
My mother has an account with Chase Bank that I am a joint signer on. My mother passed away on XX/XX/2020. She receives multiple ACH credits to her account to include Social Security, XXXX payments, XXXX XXXX pay and VA benefits. Because she died on the last day of XXXX, I knew that all benefits credited to her account in XX/XX/2020 would need to be returned. I left all funds in her account, awaiting reclamation requests for all funds from the four agencies. XXXX  reclaimed their funds on XX/XX/2020. A hold was placed on the account for most of the remaining balance on the account. Chase received a reclamation from Social Security that was dated XX/XX/2020. On XX/XX/2020 they debited {$1700.00}, the amount of the Social Security reclamation and sent me a copy of the reclamation and letter stating they had returned the funds. On XX/XX/2020 Chase again debited {$1700.00}. I thought this was a mistake and called the Chase Customer Service line to speak with someone about this. Considering the current situation with COVID-19, my local branch is not open so I was not able to visit my branch to sort this out. I was advised that the general Customer Service Center could not assist me with this particular request and was transferred to a different department. I believe this was a department specifically for electronic transaction issues. After speaking with someone and explaining the situation I was again told that this department could not help me either and was asked to call the general Customer Service Center line again. I stated to her that I did not want to be transferred back to them because they had already advised me that they could not assist me with this matter. She gave me two other phone numbers to try to see if I could reach a better department to address my issue. At one point I asked to speak to a supervisor at the call center and was told that no supervisor was available but that they could take my name and number and have a supervisor call me back within XXXX days. After speaking with a total of three different departments and spending no less than three hours trying to reach someone who could assist me, I finally made an online appointment with my local bank to have a representative from my branch call me to try and resolve this. I scheduled an appointment for XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX. I never received a phone call on XX/XX/XXXX. I scheduled another phone appointment for XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX and a representative did call me at the appointed time. I explained my situation and he stated he was not able to help me with this but that his manager might be able to. I was transferred to his manager and again explained what had happened. She stated that a mistake had not been made and that the funds they sent back to Social Security was for the XXXX payment and the XXXX payment. I advised her that this is not correct. Because my mother was alive the entire month of XXXX, the social security payment she received on XX/XX/XXXX she was entitled to because the XXXX payment was for the month of XXXX. The XXXX payment was for the month of XXXX. She died on the last day of XXXX so I knew the social security payment made on XX/XX/XXXX would be returned. She again stated that this is not correct and that she would not be able to help me. I tried to explain it to her again and she again stated that Chase had not made an error and that she could not help me.The only Social Security reclamation Chase received was for the XX/XX/XXXX payment, not the XXXX payment as well. As a last resort I called the phone number that is listed on the letter Chase sent me along with the copy of the reclamation. I have attempted to reach someone at this phone number multiple times and every time I call I get a recorded message that states the " debit card department is closed ''. When the XXXX and VA benefits are returned, this will leave my mother 's account overdrawn over {$1600.00}, because they have returned the social security benefits twice. The resulting balance of my mother 's account should be approximately {$60.00} once all funds are returned. I am unable to speak with anyone at Chase that can help me with this after multiple attempts over the course of multiple days. I feel I have no choice but to file a complaint. Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation