Consumer complaint received 2020-05-28
Company: REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: AL
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Fee problem

Complaint:
Please pardon me if I do not have exact dates, just the week of, but the gist of the problem is that I am broke. I am unemployed and my Stimulus payment was taken by Regions Bank for overdraft fees. It's important to know that my account was deliberately over drafted during this unprecedented times to make ends meet. I had every intention of replacing the money, but lost my job and then my situation was worsened by the onset of COVID-19. 

Somewhere around XX/XX/XXXX I contacted Regions Customer Service XXXX XXXX XXXX and spoke to, if my memory serves me correctly, XXXX. At the time, I verified my account and gave permission for my mother to speak with the representative as I was feeling poorly at that time. We specifically asked XXXX if there was a process to request the return of the Stimulus since I am now unemployed and broke. XXXX did not provide any details on how that could be done and offered to adjust some other smaller fees that resulted in a {$200.00} credit to my checking account. XXXX said that we'd have to visit a local bank for more to be done. The problem is we are in the middle of a pandemic and this was prior to the re-opening of States. 

The problem is that Regions strategically route all calls to Customer Service so you can't get a direct number to a Regions Branch Manager, you can only speak to Customer Service, but through a prior interaction, my mother remembered she had the desk number of a Regions employee and called that. At that time we were able to talk to a Branch Manager. The problem was explained to that Branch Manager and the same inquiry was made as to how to reclaim the Stimulus check back that Regions took for overdraft fees. 

Much to my dismay, the Branch Manager said that there was a way to appeal that decision, but that had to happen by XX/XX/XXXX. It was now XX/XX/XXXX and he said there was nothing he could do. After begging and explaining my situation of homelessness and unemployment, he said he will put in a " ticket '' and see what happens. That was two weeks ago with no follow-up. A subsequent call to the Branch Manager yield nothing. Initially, he denied remembering the conversation, but later said that he had not heard anything yet. 

It's my understanding that Region ' 2018 reported revenue was a whopping {$6.00} XXXX, but they can't forgive my NSF fees that were generated in an emergent situation and give me back my Stimulus payment that I need desperately. I believe that Regions was strategic in the Customer Service representative not informing me of a way to appeal that process when I had time to do so on XX/XX/XXXX and now want to provide this watered down explanation that oops you missed it by two days ... too bad! 

I understand that Regions don't owe me anything, but we are all navigating through some unprecedented times and I need the Stimulus money far more than Region does. I can't even buy deodorant. I need to get back to XXXX, Georgia, but don't have gas or money for a battery and new tire or two. All of which the Stimulus check could have helped me do. Technically, I am now homeless and the person I am living with is moving to a one bedroom apartment to save on expenses and I have to vacate their apartment. 

I believe that I am getting the run-around at this point. Can you please help me appeal to Regions. I am shocked of the treatment that the Customer Service Representative wouldn't provide the information we needed. And even further shocked that a Regions official explained that she may not have known. If she, in Customer Service, don't know who should the consumer expect to know? 

Please help me.

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 explanation