Consumer complaint received 2017-04-13
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: MI
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
I opened an account with US Bank in XX/XX/2016, because I was searching for a bank with good online presence, and because I had received a solicitation to open the account with a {$150.00} account opening bonus, if I had made 2 payments of a minimum of {$25.00} within 60 days of account opening. So I made a deposit into the account, and made the two {$25.00} payments within 60 days of account opening. I waited 6-8 weeks after I opened the account to check if the {$150.00} account opening bonus would be made before making additional deposits, but nothing was deposited. Within the following couple of months I called the bank several times to check on the status of the {$150.00} account opening bonus, and I was assured several times that the bonus will be deposited within " a couple of days ''. However, instead of giving me the bonus, the bank instead began charging my account service fees, to the point of overdrawing the account. Additionally, the bank subsequently closed the account, and assessed a {$35.00} account closing fee, and sent me a collections letter asking for the full payment of around {$45.00} and threatening to report the information to the consumer reporting agencies. So instead of paying me the {$150.00} bonus for the new account service, the bank depleted {$25.00} from my account in fees, and then added an additional {$45.00} and charged off my account. I am aware that this is a very small amount, but if this is n't abusive, then I do n't know what is. I then called the bank and was on the phone for over an hour trying to speak with someone but everyone kept bouncing me off to the " online department '' voicemail. I contacted account recovery, left a voicemail for online banking, and spoke with multiple levels of customer service and no one was willing to assist and kept insisting that only this phantom person in online banking can help. In a {$450.00} XXXX dollar institution, they want me to believe that only one person that only answers to voicemail can help! Every single employee I spoke with gave me the same response, and the bank can check their phone records, " I am sorry but I ca n't help you ''. In a {$450.00} XXXX dollar institution not one person can help!! The following is the list of employees who were unwilling to help and kept attempting to transfer me to other areas : XXXX in XXXX - ID # XXXX - Customer Service Representative XXXX in XXXX - ID # XXXX - Customer Service XXXX XXXX XXXX - Account Recovery Representative XXXX XXXX - Account Recovery Manager XXXX XXXX then told me that I will have to " write-in '' to the bank to file a dispute because the customer dispute department and I quote " does not speak to customers '' and then threatened me with the following language " unless you are willing to do the work, this issue will not be resolved '' Are you kidding me? As if staying on the phone for an hour is not " willing to do work ''. And when I got upset about their response, she said that she will disconnect the call! Instead of helping customers this bank misleads new customers to open an account with a fake account opening bonus, and then depletes the rest of the funds in fees to the point of overdrawing the account and then bullies their customers to make payment and not be willing to assit in any way possible.

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 monetary relief