Consumer complaint received 2024-11-09
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Company closed your account
Company: EASTERN BANKSHARES INC (MA)

My husband and I had been long time customers of XXXXXXXX XXXX which was taken over by XXXX and then in XXXX taken over by Eastern Bank. We have our 2 business accounts and our personal checking account with the bank. After the change over we did not receive any statements on any of our accounts either paper or online. So We were not aware of the multiple ATM charges that were incurring on our personal account and when we discovered it we contacted the local branch in XXXX that we always dealt with to resolve the issues. We spoke to a few people at the bank who were rude and unhelpful and then my husband and I finally spoke twice to the XXXX XXXX XXXX on the phone once on Wednesday XX/XX/XXXX and again on Friday XX/XX/XXXX. We were not satisfied with his response. He wanted to blame most of the situation on us and he was argumentative and unwilling to compromise only wanting to refund part of the charges. I at the end of our conversation told him that I was going to file a complaint with the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX and his response was dont threaten me. So after our conversation we filed a complaint with the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. We then received a call on XX/XX/XXXX from someone at Eastern Bank who said she was a liaison to the VP in the Eastern Bank customer service department she was very nice and sympathetic and she reversed all the fees and told me that she would be contacting me by email with her information if I ever needed anything in the future. Then strangely on Tuesday XX/XX/XXXX another person called named XXXX from another department at Eastern Bank telling me that the bank was closing ALL of our accounts because we had yelled at the XXXX XXXX XXXX and he said he felt threatened. I think this was a direct retaliation to our complaint with the XXXX XXXX XXXX especially since when I told him I was going to file a complaint told me not to threaten him. My husband did raise his voice in anger when speaking to him but in no way was he threatening and he did not insult the manger but said some nasty things about the bank and their unfair deceptive practices. I was shocked about this and the woman who called me was argumentative and rude and seemed determined to get me to raise my voice and get into another argument. I asked her to have her boss call me to discuss. I couldnt believe that they would close all of our accounts because of one phone call in which we were a bit upset with the outcome at the bank but in no way threatening or abusive. I received a call later that day from XXXX XXXX and spoke to her at length and explained my concerns and our side of this situation and told her in our conversation to please let the manger know that we did not intend to make him feel uncomfortable but the anger was directed at the bank and not at him directly and we were sorry if he felt that way. XXXX said she would discuss it again with the manager and others making the decision and get back to me which she did today only to say that the bank was sticking by their decision to close all of our accounts. I am shocked to say the least that this is they way they respond to a complaint against them very unfair especially to seniors in the local community.