Consumer complaint received 2022-06-15
Company: FIRST HORIZON BANK
State: TN
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem making or receiving payments

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022 I deposited a check at the XXXX Branch of First Horizon Bank in the amount of {$2400.00}. The check was from the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX company located at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, XXXX and written from the company 's XXXX XXXX XXXX  account in XXXX XXXX SD. The check number was XXXX. The deposit was made to Teller : XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) at XXXX. At the time of the deposit the teller indicated that the check would clear with the issuing bank overnight and that the funds would be available in my account the next day. Prior to the deposit I had an account balance of {$5600.00} and an available balance of {$5600.00}. 
The next morning, XX/XX/2022, I called the Branch Manager and Assistant Vice President XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) to inquire as to whether the check deposited in the amount of {$2400.00} on check number XXXX had in fact been cleared with XXXX XXXX Bank by First Horizon bank. Once I verbally confirmed the dollar amount of {$2400.00} to XXXX XXXX to satisfy bank security precautions, she verbally confirmed that the check had in fact had been cleared with XXXX XXXX  Bank by First Horizon Bank and that the funds were in my account and available for withdrawal. At this point, a legitimate check made by a legitimate customer of legitimate XXXX XXXX Bank has been deposited into my First Horizon checking account and deemed cleared. 
Later that day I entered the XXXX XXXX and asked that teller XXXX  ( XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) withdraw {$2400.00} from the {$8100.00} balance in my First Horizon Bank checking account leaving me a resulting balance of {$5600.00}. 
On XX/XX/2022, I deposited a check number XXXX from XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX on their XXXX XXXX Bank account in the amount of {$2400.00} which was verified by the bank as cleared on the next day and posted to my account giving me a balance of {$8000.00}. 
At no time on either XX/XX/2022, XXXX XXXX or XX/XX/2022 did the bank indicate that it had in fact not presented either of the checks referenced above to XXXX XXXX Bank. Had they done the due diligence that was asserted when I was told that both of these checks had cleared, I would have been made aware that XXXX XXXX was the victim of theft of a series of their checks. In telling me that both checks had cleared First Horizon exposed me to the theft perpetrated on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Bank protected their customer while First Horizon Bank exposed me to a criminal enterprise by not presenting the stolen checks to XXXX  XXXX Bank before declaring that the checks had been cleared. Everything that transpired following the initial stolen check deposit is the fault of First Horizon Bank for failing to present the check to XXXX XXXX Bank before declaring to me that the checks had actually cleared. 
As it turns out, I was only able to get the information that the checks had been stolen from XXXX XXXX  by talking to XXXX in the accounts payable department of XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/2022. XXXX was also able to confirm that the checks I was led to believe were for my services rendered were actually being flagged by XXXX XXXX Bank from the moment the theft was discovered. This information was only learned once I called XXXX XXXX XXXX after a visit to the First Horizon XXXX Branch of First Horizon Bank on Saturday XX/XX/2022 and two very misleading taped XXXX and XXXX minute conversations with the First Horizon call center on XX/XX/2022. 
First Horizon Bank call center representative, XXXX, never did disclose why XXXX XXXX Bank did not pay the checks ( XXXX & XXXX ). Instead, she asserted that First Horizon Bank was issuing checks that I would receive in 7-10 business days that I could redeposit into the bank to recover my funds which had at this point been subject to a chargeback. While I waited for these reissued checks to be received, a chargeback for the second deposited check and subsequently a third check of similar amount was also subjected to a chargeback. This all could have all been avoided had First Horizon Bank actually presented the first check to XXXX XXXX Bank to be cleared before making the funds available for withdrawal. XXXX XXXX Bank did its job. First Horizon failed to do its job and is now attempting to abdicate its fiduciary obligation to its customer account holder. 

Additionally, the checks that I was told by XXXX would be received in 7-10 business days were not reissued checks at all but were instead just copies of the original checks. Again, just another misrepresentation by persons within the First Horizon Bank organization. Whether purposeful or incidental, First Horizon Bank personnel have facilitated the errors made throughout this situation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation