Consumer complaint received 2021-06-30
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: UT
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Cashing a check

Complaint:
I deposited two checks with US Bank via mobile deposit : # XXXX {$20.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and # XXXX for {$20.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. I later received an email from US Bank indicating a check for {$20.00} was flagged as a duplicate and would not be credited to my account. 

I called and had a long discussion with US Bank. The customer service representatives on that side had a very hard time understanding the issue initially because US Bank had no record visible in their system of check # XXXX from XX/XX/XXXX ( despite the email I received ). If US Bank flagged this as a duplicate, it is baffling to me why they would delete the check image I submitted. I would think they would be even more likely to keep that image as proof that it was a duplicate of the credited item. I see no reason why they would delete the image except to make it impossible to dispute the " duplicate '' conclusion. I will return to this point shortly. 

Luckily, I had not yet disposed of the checks, so I was able to share with the representative the two check numbers. The representative told me I would need to go to a branch to re-deposit the declined check, which I understood ( wrongly ) was check # XXXX. Keep in mind that US Bank did not provide me with the check number or image of the deposited check either online or via the mobile app, so I was entirely reliant on the verbal communication of the representative. Since I understood check # XXXX was already deposited, I properly shredded it. A week later, I took check # XXXX to the branch ( which really was a duplicate of the existing credit deposit ). 

I have now called US Bank again to dispute the fact that they did not credit my account for check # XXXX. Both the representative and supervisor insist that US Bank does not keep the image of a check flagged as duplicate. In other words, US Bank has a single image of a single check. If US Bank had kept both images, it would be a simple matter to pull up the two images and have a human examine them to see they are clearly different. A single image can not support a claim of two deposits being duplicates. Two images would be required to make such an assertion. 

It is my belief that US Bank 's policy to immediately delete and not store images of checks that their system flags as " duplicates '' is abusive under CFPB laws and regulations. A reasonable consumer should be able to rely on their financial depository institution to act in the consumers interest by ( 1 ) having reasonable quality control checks in place to ensure funds are not incorrectly denied deposit, ( 2 ) saving the check images the institution claims are duplicates to allow for further evaluation if necessary, and ( 3 ) providing a simple and direct avenue to dispute the rejection of a check or deposit package ( e.g. a dispute this decision button in the mobile app, website, or email notification ). By deleting deposit package images, by withholding those images and that information from its customer service representatives and consumers, and by failing to have any efficient avenue of dispute, US Bank is taking unreasonable advantage of consumers reliance that the bank is ( or should be ) acting in their interests and that their apps, images, processes, and systems are ( or should be ) designed to protect the consumer. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

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