Consumer complaint received 2022-10-17
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Other personal consumer report
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing issue
Sub-issue: Investigation took more than 30 days

Complaint:
I have been racially discriminated while trying to do busines with Chase bank. 

On Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX, my mother and I went the branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, FL XXXX to have a document notarized. 
We had a similar document notarized at that branch less than a year ago with no issue. We were told that the notary was too busy to assist us that day as they had many appointments ahead of us. We were told to return the next day after XXXX as that would be the best time to see the notary. We returned on Friday at XXXX and were told again that the notary was " very '' busy with appointments and that we should have made an appointment. I insisted that we would wait and was actually seen within 30 minutes of arrival. This is where thing took a wrong turn. The notary was a woman that I have never interacted with before at this branch and she quickly stated that she was not sure that she could notarize the document. I asked why and she said because it was from a foreign country. I pointed out that we had a similar document notarized there before and she insisted that she would have to consult with her manager. She returned a few minutes later and said that her manager told her that he " didnt '' know if they could notarize it and they would have to send a copy to the legal department for clarification. She suggested that we take the document " somewhere else '' or to " someone else '' to have it done. I advised her that I will wait for the answer from her legal department so she made copies of the documents and said she would get back in touch with us by phone no later than Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX. We have never received a response from the bank. 

We have since had the document notarized ( " somewhere else '' ) without any issue, but I stopped at the branch on Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX to speak to the manager. The person in the lobby suggested that I leave my number for him to call me back as he was busy. I declined and advised her that I would wait. She went in the back and returned and stated that the manager said that he was 'very busy '' and that if I left my number, he would call me back. I declined again and told her that my complaint was actually about never receiving any call back from the branch. She took that information back to the manager who appeared almost immediately. He told me that he was really too busy to see me but asked what my issue was. I told him of the previous interaction ( XX/XX/XXXX ) and his involvement in it and he stated that the notary was on vacation, and he had no access to her email to see what response she might have gotten from the legal department. He repeated that he was too busy to assist me, but that he would call me back shortly if I gave him my name and number. I left the branch and called Chase 's customer service and made a complaint online to the Chase call center. 

About 1 1/2 hours later I got a call from the manager who identified himself as XXXX XXXX, who said he was returning my call, " but he did not remember the reason that he was calling me back ''. I was INSULTED, VERY INSULTED, and told him that I had just made a complaint via the call center so I didn't feel the need to have a conversation with him anymore and he flippantly said, " ok, I will remove it from things I had to do ''. 

As a XXXX person I have to wonder if my XXXX played a role in the recent interactions at this branch especially with XXXX XXXX 
XXXX, the manager. Why couldn't I have waited to be seen by him at the branch. Why was he not aware of the reason for calling me back. Is this implicit bias or just XXXX behavior on his part. 

On XXXX, I got a voicemail response from Chase stating that they had investiagted my complaint and concluded that the branch did nothing wrong as each branch can decide what documents they choose to notarize. 

I sent the following email in repspone to the voicemail : Good evening, Below is my previous complaint sent on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX detailing a very negative interaction with some members of staff at one of your branch in Florida. I received a follow up voice mail yesterday from your customer service representative ( XXXX ) who was assigned to investigate my complaint. The response from XXXX was both tone XXXX XXXX XXXX She has not addressed my complaint but simply stated a Chase policy which has nothing to do with the cause of my complaint. In responding to my complaint, she stated that the branch did nothing wrong as " notary services are completely up to the discretion of the individual branches ''. That however was not my complaint and if she had actually taken the time to read and properly investigate my complain instead of stating a company policy, she might have resolved my issue. 

I want to restate my complaint as clearly and concisely as possible and hope that you assign this to someone other than " XXXX '' who clearly does not have the investigative skills to handle a complaint and who merely left me a cookie cutter reply three weeks later. 

( 1 ) The complaint is not about the discretion of an individual Chase branch. My complaint is that I had the same document notarized previously at the same branch. Coincidentally the notary on the previous occasion at this branch was a XXXX man who notarized the same document without any issue. Now on this occasion, with the same document, a XXXX woman and her XXXX manager " PERCEIVED '' a problem with the document and stated that per CHASE 's policy they had to send a copy to CHASE 's legal department to verify that they could notarize it. This is cleary not about " local discretion '' as the notory stated that she had to follow CHASE 's policy ( not a local branch policy ) and needed guidance from CHASE 's legal department. 
The XXXX XXXX notary last year at the same branch did not seem to have needed guidance from CHASE 's legal department to verify ID 's and notarize the forms. This time, the XXXX female notary and her XXXX  XXXX branch manager told me that they would contact us in no less than four ( 4 ) days ( Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX ) with the information they would have gotten from CHASE 's legal department, but still as of TODAY, ( XX/XX/XXXX ) they have failed to notify me ( now maybe, just maybe, the CHASE legal department has given them the ok to notarize the document, but your corporate representative " XXXX '' has failed to deal with that part of my complaint ). It seems that XXXX was too quick to miss that part of my complaint that I still have not been contacted by the branch, her only respone being that the branch has discretion to offer notary service. I wish to restate that this copy and paste, cookie cutter response to my complaint from XXXX highlights the total lack of respect from Chase towards me as a customer. What exactly was the response from CHASE 's legal department back to the branch regarding my document... .I am still waiting to be informed. 

( 2 ) The rudeness of the Branch Manager and his temerity to state that he can not speak to a customer inside the branch because he is too busy. He actually calls me back but then tells me he does not remember why/what he was calling me back in reference to. He didn't care that he never noted what my issue was before calling, he just decided to cold call me back. I need to know what level of customer serivce is Chase offering to it's customers, or is this also left up the the discretion of the local branches. 

I am now demanding that you take my compliant with the seriousness that it deserves, and not brush it aside and deliver cliche responses. I need to know what was communicated back to the branch from the legal department and if the branch actually sent anything to the legal department for review. 

I thank you for you attention and look forward to a speedy and full resolution of my concerns. 

Regards, XXXX XXXX -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - I tehn recevied a call from a new representative, XXXX, who wanted a copy of the document we took to the bank. I told him that i did not have a copy anymore but the woman at the branch had made copies. He called me back 2 times telling me that he was still investigating and would get back to me. he called back on Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX telling me that he needed more information, particalary the name of the person at the bank, and i advised him that ididnt but the manager would know. He stated that the manager does nbot know the name of the person, yet my complaint was both about the manageXXXX and the employee. I told XXXX that I did not want to hear from him again unless it was about the conclusion of his investigation. 
I have since recevied an email from Chase stating that they will not contine the investigation beacuse i have " refused ' to supply a copy of the document. 
I had already told XXXX more than a month ago that i didnt have a copy anymore, yet this is now the excuse for not addressing my complaint. The people ast the branch made a copy that they said they were forwarding to Chase leagl department. They already have a copy unless that was just to get me out of the branch. 

This is blatant discrimination by Chase and it needs looked into. A XXXX employee notarized the same type of document at the same branch just months before wihtout any issue.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation