Consumer complaint received 2024-07-25
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: AMERIS BANCORP (GA)

On XX/XX/year> I received an unauthorized charge on my account from XXXX for {$230.00}. 

At the time I had XXXX in my account. 

Ameris Bank paid out the amount of the fraudulent transaction and charged me a {$35.00} NSF fee. 

On XX/XX/XXXX they charged me an additional {$35.00} for an extended overdraft I was alerted that I had an overdrawn account On XX/XX/year> when the only transaction I have authorized on the account was declined ( It was a $ 6 monthly recurring transaction for XXXX ) I immediately called the fraud department for Ameris bank and they submitted a fraud claim and let me know they would be in contact with me in the next XXXX business days. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called the manager at the branch where I opened the account, XXXX XXXX and asked if I could have the fees refunded and he let me know that once they researched it and verified it was fraud they could refund the fees. 

My account was still in a negative balance. 

On around XX/XX/XXXX I went to my closest branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( where the main headquarters is ) to get a new debit card because the old one had been cancelled to prevent further fraudulent use. 

XXXX told the process could take as much as 30 days and that I should wait to hear from them and it was suggested I get a credit card from them because that would allow them to refund XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX helped me with this transaction and provided this information. 

On XX/XX/year> I signed in to my account to see if they had refunded my account and noticed that Ameris Bank had charged off my balance. 

I immediately called the customer service line and they let me know Id need to go to a branch. 

I walked back in to see XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX and he told me there was nothing he could do for me and that whoever took care of this for you should have told you to bring the account back to positive. When I asked to speak tot he XXXXanager, he then claimed to be the manager of the branch although his title says Sales and Service Relationship Manager After pressing him, he told me the actual XXXX was XXXX XXXX at another branch. 

I spoke with XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX at the branch at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and he was very helpful. He called the back office where the write off took place and spoke with XXXX I was told something along the lines of the write off happened because of a banking regulation ( Reg E ) that requires the bank to charge off the account after a certain number of days and that they were still researching it He called me later in the day to let them know that I would need to contact XXXX to get more information. 

When I called XXXX they were unable to provide me with the details of the transaction because I could not verify the name and email on the account, because they werent mine. 

I have still received XXXX formal/written communication but the branch employees told me XXXX contradictory things : I was not provided the same protection on this account as a consumer because it was a business card and I was not provided the same protection because it went through the debit card database not the XXXX  database. 

On Friday XX/XX/XXXX I received contact from XXXX XXXX XXXX Debt Collector about this and Ameris has sent my fraudulent debt to collections with no resolution, communication or actual help. 
This has been the worst customer service experience I have ever experience. The people who are supposed to have my back when fraudulent situations happen are now the ones making it worse for me.