Consumer complaint received 2023-07-27
Company: TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: VA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
Received a direct digital advertisement to open an account for a {$400.00} reward. I applied and received an error stating they cant open my account and I should call or go to a local branch. Few minutes later, I received an email congratulating me for opening the account and inviting me to set up the online banking, I tried to enroll online I couldnt so I called in to see whats the deal and the agent was able to help me get an online banking and cleared the issue. To satisfy the requirement to earn the {$400.00} I needed to do {$50.00} initial deposit which I did via XXXX and set up my direct deposit which I switched through my employer. 
About ~week or so after I logged in online to see if I received my direct deposit and when I tried to log in my account was locked and provided me with a number and when I chatted with an agent they had to transfer me to the enterprise fraud dept in which they informed me that my account is set to be closed due to fraud and theres no way for me to have the account open ( which was completely fine with me but I was worried about my deposits ) I inquired about my direct deposit and she said you will need to take care of that through your employer, and I will need to reach out to XXXX to get my {$50.00} back. I asked her about the fraud if im a victim of fraud or im being accused of committing fraud she said I cant tell you but youre not the victim.

I called in my employer and the HR dept they said thats not how it works the bank should be rejecting the ACH so we can get it and deposit it in your account and we havent received it back from them yet. So I had to file a claim through my employer to go and request the funds back in which took couple days to be received and deposited in my account. Then couple weeks later I received my closes account statement from Truist and it showed that they charged me {$12.00} maintenance monthly fee for not meeting the minimum balance. Its an account that I was told it will be closed and I should be getting my money back, I called XXXX about my funds and they told me that i will need to get my money from Truist directly. A local branch called me to cross sell me a credit card so I explained to the banker my life story and he asked me to come to the branch and he told me the issue is that because I used to be a customer over 10 years ago with BB & T and I had a different name in the system and closed the account LONG time ago, I have changed my name legally and theyre pretty close to each other but mo one asked me if I have changed my name or asked for further documentation. I went to a local branch and spoke to the branch Leader, XXXX, who tried to help but the XXXX XXXX XXXX told him the account is on hold and they wont be able to release the funds until the investigation is over, he asked me to leave to not waste my time and he would call me back in a few day to follow up. He called me back to to tell me the account is cleared to close and he will be able to refund the funds. I went back to the branch but the branch leader was not there and the banker said the hold is back on the account they might be able to close it but cant refund me the {$12.00} fee. Its extremely frustrating to keep eating my lunch break to go to the branch to get turned away. The banker asked me to come back when the branch leader comes back as hes not allowed to call the branch leader once he steps out of the branch. 
I went back few weeks later and the branch manager was busy with a customer for thirty mins and the banker was not able to help and I was assessed apparently another {$12.00} fee and now I have {$26.00} in my account. I was super frustrated as no one can help me and I left. If you count the hours I spent on dealing with all agents and going to the branch from the mins I attempt to open the account until now it far exceeded the value of {$400.00} rewards they claimed to reward new customers plus Im out {$50.00}! This is by far the worst experience Ive ever had.

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 non-monetary relief