Consumer complaint received 2015-11-21
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.
State: CA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management

Complaint:
CHASE Bank 's fraud and misrepresentation, preying on elderly man to direct deposit Social Security for cash bonus and then refusing to honor the bonus promotion. Chase 's bait-and-switch in scamming a senior citizen to route his Social Security income warrants a federal investigation. 

FACTS : In response to a mailed Chase promotion of {$500.00} bonus for new accounts, my daughter helped me, an elderly man on a fixed income, open a checking account and savings account at the Fishers, IN branch on XXXX XXXX 2015. For opening the checking account w/ a minimum of {$25.00} deposit and direct deposit within 30 days, Chase offered a {$300.00} bonus within 10 business days of the first direct deposit. For a savings account with {$15000.00} average balance for 90 days, Chase offered {$200.00}. 

I used my Social Security monthly income for my direct deposit which was credited on XXXX XXXX 2015. It is now XXXX XXXX 2015 and Chase still has not deposited the {$300.00} bonus. Repeated attempts by my daughter via several emails and numerous phone calls with the banker who opened the account, his manager, and the XXXX branch manager have been extremely frustrating and unsuccessful. This is a simple straightforward resolution for a technical problem caused by the Chase banker XXXX who failed to enter the promotion code from the physical promotion mailed card that we brought in to open the account and qualify for the bonus. Now the banker alleges that he does n't recall our using the promotion! My wife opened XXXX accounts using the exact same promotion ( but a different card with a different code ) the day before! In further support of the banker XXXX 's incompetence, when he opened my account, he called my daughter a wk later b/c he forgot to take the signature card we signed and he needed me to bring it back to the bank. 

My daughter who is a joint acct holder has spoken to the Chase banker directly and even to his managers in XXXX, IN, who refuse to correct the problem even after they can see that I satisfied the qualifications for the bonus -- direct deposit within 30 days of opening the account. This has gone on for two weeks! Chase even demanded that I return to the branch for a third time to return something that the banker failed to do -- the promotion card with the code on the back. I brought in the card to Chase bank and they still refuse to correct their error and credit my account the {$300.00} bonus I rightfully earned. 

Chase has misrepresented its promotion, failed to honor its promise of a {$300.00} cash bonus after I satisfied the qualifications for it, and has given me and my daughter the run-around instead of immediately correcting its error. 
Chase employees ' actions which we 've documented are unconscionable and are tantamount to elder fraud and abuse. Chase eagerly changed my Social Security income direct deposit from a bank where I 'm familiar with a false promise that it would take care of my financial needs. But now Chase refuses to honor its promise by crediting my acct for the bonus I clearly earned and no one from Chase will do his/her job. This should 've been corrected three wks ago but Chase and its employees keep giving me and my daughter excuses and promises to follow up and call but then failing to do so. Out of fear, we closed out the savings account b/c we were afraid that Chase would hang onto it for the 90 days and refuse to pay that {$200.00} bonus as well. At my age, I ca n't afford to keep waiting for a bank like Chase to do the right thing and correct its obvious error. 

Chase 's actions are concerning especially with so much fraud and scams targeting XXXX citizens. Chase 's bait-and-switch warrants a federal investigation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation