Consumer complaint received 2016-10-06
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: GA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
DisTrust in SunTrust - SunTrust put my son in the wrong account, allowed him illegal access to a debit card, failed to honor my written and verbal declination of overdraft protection, but somehow not only I am forced to take responsibility for SunTrust 's error, but my other son is being held responsible as SunTrust took money from his account. 
Highlights : Despite 3 verbal requests and a signed form declining overdraft protection, SunTrust allowed overdrafts on my son 's card. 
SunTrust put my son in an account with a debit card that Georgia Law apparently does not allow for minors. Then I 'm told that was a favor to me SunTrust allowed a brand new student account opened with {$100.00} to incur over {$2500.00} worth of charges and did not deactivate the card or put a hold on his account until I asked to weeks later. Yet two days after I opened this account my card got cut off and I spent 30 minute in the store verifying recent transactions because they was " excessive use '' that day. Wait. Is n't {$2500.00} excessive on a new account? Are the standards different for student accounts? How much money does SunTrust make off of fees students and parents have to pay because of allowed misuse. 
SunTrust opted to rob me of the rest of my money rather than contacting me within their established and expressed time frame with an update. However, I gave no authorization to link accounts. Why would I, if there is no overdraft? 
SunTrust has taken funds out of my other son 's account to cover the balance on this account to which he is not connected. Wait - What? Can they do that? 
Background & Details XX/XX/XXXX I confidently walked out of SunTrust Bank with confidence that my money was safe. I told the bank manager : " My son just got a job and needs an account for his direct deposit. '' The account was opened with {$100.00}, my son was given a debit card and his direct deposit information. During the meeting I specifically said 3 times that there was to be NO OVER DRAFTS. One time I specifically said if there is n't enough money in the account, decline it. I wanted my son to hear me say this. The Manager had me sign a form rejecting overdraft protection. I did n't worry about my son 's possible actions because I made sure with the bank he could n't spend what he did n't have and that my money was safe as well. Oh, was I wrong to put faith in SunTrust. 
Subsequently : My son ran up over {$2000.00} worth of charges. 
XXXX tells me I have to wait 2 weeks for his boss to return the country. When asked, the Manager assured me that no one else in all of SunTrust could address this issue other than his boss in two weeks. 
He told me to call customer service to file a complaint. I did. 
On XX/XX/XXXX Manager calls with the following : The bank agreed to waive all fees. 
The charges can not be reverse and if the funds were returned to me the bank would likely take legal action against my son and because he is minor, legal action against me as well. 
That the laws in Georgia prohibit minors from having a debit card and that " HE DID ME A FAVOR '' by putting my son in the wrong account. However had he done his job right, my son would not have had a card to run up all of these charges and we would have no issue. 
After advising him of my intent file various complaints we ended the call. He called back and said had spoken to his boss and brought him up to speed on the issue and he would address it and call me the next day to discuss resolution. He further asked me to give them the next day to address the issue BEFORE filing complaints. 
I did not here from ANYONE the next day, but I did notice that evening that the bank exhausted the remaining funds out of my account and out of my son 's. 
So I took that as my answer from SunTrust and thus I 'm filing this complaint to express my DisTrust in SunTrust.

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