Consumer complaint received 2018-12-06
Company: PNC Bank N.A.
State: PA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Banking errors

Complaint:
My daughter sends me a monthly check for {$1400.00} and I routinely deposit this into my personal checking account using the drive-up ATM at XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, PA XXXX. 

I did so about noon on XX/XX/18, a Sunday. The sun was shining brightly on the ATM screen, and the image was dim, so I had some difficulty interacting with the machine but proceeded nonetheless. At one point I  requested that my check be returned without depositing it. My ATM card came out of the machine, but not the check. I received no transaction receipt. 

I checked online to see whether the transaction went through. It did not show up on the online display. 

The following day, I went to the branch office and explained the situation. I filed a " dispute, '' and they provided me with a provisional credit for {$1400.00} ( see transaction dated XX/XX/18 on the list of transactions ).  They told me that this was a process that would take some time to resolve. 

I explained to my daughter ( who had written the check I deposited ) that the check was in limbo, perhaps lost. After passage of time, my daughter chose shortly before XX/XX/18 to stop payment on the check. She informed me of this action, and I contacted PNC to inform them that she had stopped payment on this lost check. They reversed the provisional {$1400.00} credit ( see reversal of provisional credit dated XX/XX/18 on list  of transactions ). At this point my daughter owes me {$1400.00} but I am even with PNC. 

All seemed OK until I noted a {$1400.00} charge to my account dated XX/XX/18. This was labeled " RET DEP ITEM. '' I have attached a copy of the check and the information about this transaction. Note that the check number is XXXX, date XX/XX/XXXX and that the notation from PNC indicates that it was to apply to " Deposit date XX/XX/18. '' You can verify from the statement of transactions that this check was never actually deposited on XX/XX/18 or any other date. At this point I am out {$1400.00}. It is important to note that I have made multiple ( typically monthly ) deposits of {$1400.00} about the XXXX of each month. None of the actual {$1400.00} deposits is for check number XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX -- only the original provisional credit which was subsequently reversed. 

This means that the check was never actually paid. However in the process my account received one {$1400.00} credit and two {$1400.00} debits. I am out {$1400.00}. 

I tried to resolve this matter with an online chat, but the person involved indicated that this required that I speak in person with personnel at the branch office. I did so on the afternoon of Wednesday XX/XX/18. I spoke to personal banker XXXX XXXX NMLS ID XXXX at the XXXX XXXX branch office. He immediately understood the error and explained to me that the problem would be resolved -- it would just be a matter of time. Mr. XXXX, over at least one hour, called five separate offices within PNC. Each seemed to indicate it was not their problem, that the customer was mistaken or that somebody else should deal with the matter. 

I returned to the PNC branch office on two or three subsequent occasions to follow through on this matter. They assured me that they were working on the matter, that the team had spent " 5 hrs working on this '' and that they had " escalated the matter. '' On Monday XX/XX/18, they indicated to me that would receive a call from another office that would definitely handle my problem. Today it is XX/XX/18, and I have received no phone call. The {$1400.00} erroneous charge has not been reversed. 

When I called PNC directly, I was told that I must work through the branch office only. 

At this point I am seemingly at an impasse. The staff at the branch office clearly acknowledges that I am out {$1400.00} and should be refunded. Neither they nor I have been able to make that happen.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation