Consumer complaint received 2024-07-30
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Closing an account — Funds not received from closed account
Company: Chime Financial Inc (CO)

My car was broken into XX/XX/year> and my banking information was compromised, and a charge was made for {$60.00} the night of the car break in. I called Chime Financial ( XXXX XXXX ) on XX/XX/year> to inform them of the situation and to dispute the {$60.00} charge. They closed my account and marked it as fraud, leaving {$2100.00} funds in the account. They informed me I could never bank with them again. While on the phone with them, I initiated a transfer with my funds from that account to a known external banking account I had on file, that I had used quite a few times previously to transfer funds in and out of Chime. 

A few days later I received a notification that they declined my transfer but did not give me a reason. I called back and asked them what the next steps are, and they informed me that they'd be sending me a check to the address on file. They told me the transfer was denied due to the account number being wrong, even though this was a verified bank account I already had on file. 

I received the check via mail in XXXX ( check was dated XX/XX/year> ). The check looked funny. It came from XXXX  XXXX XXXX, and only had XXXX indication this was the chime refund ( description said 'Chime Refund ' ). I created a new bank account with XXXX. I mobile deposited this check into my new XXXX checking account on XX/XX/year>. XXXX then gave me a notification that they need to do further investigating and confirmations this check was legit. They said they needed around one-two weeks to get this process done. I called XXXX to figure out what was taking so long, and they informed me that this was a fake check. They said it was illegitimate, they called XXXX  XXXX XXXX and XXXX said they had no idea what that check was, and that it was fake and to not continue with the deposit. XXXX then told me that they are closing my account due to trying to deposit a 'fake check ' and told me I could never bank with them again. This caused a lot of stress on me, as this was thousands of dollars that I needed for life essentials, and I needed to find another new banking institution. This back and forth kept going on until early XXXX when I called Chime again. 

When I called Chime again about this ( early XXXX ), they were no help. They said the check is real and that I needed to deposit it. I tried getting a supervisor on the line, and tried telling them I was writing up an intent to sue, but they didn't care. Finally, after a ton of arguing, they said they would reissue a new check to me. I had to show proof that the check never deposited, which I sent to them via email. This is when they told me they'd send me out a new one. 

They promised a XXXX timeframe of when I would receive this check ( i called around XX/XX/year> ). I patiently waited and did not bother calling back Chime as I was expecting a check within those XXXX  days. Last week was when that XXXX timeframe was up, and I still hadn't received a check. I called yesterday to their dispute department and was on the phone with them for XXXX hours. I asked for a supervisor the first time, and they continued to transfer me. I told them I was getting a lawyer involved and they did not care at all. It took me XXXX hours to figure out that they never reissued a check and have it in their system that I 'cashed " the check on XX/XX/year> and they have no notes about me calling in in XXXX and asking for a reissued check/being told XXXX was reissued. I informed them that this check is not cashed, I still physically have it and have all the information showing the check never deposited. The " supervisor '' named XXXX ( which was definitely not a supervisor, he could barely do basic functions, took XXXX minutes to figure out the issue after continuous threats to sue, and basically was incompetent ). He ended up telling me that he can not reissue a new check ( due to it being marked as cashed ) and had to create a ticket to escalate this and inform the processing team that the check was not cashed. He gave me a ticket number of # XXXX. He told me I would get an email about this. I have not received any email and I have a feeling that this never got escalated and this ticket is not real. 

This will be going on for XXXX  months in XXXX. This is money I am needing urgently to pay for my car registration and other life essentials, as this is thousands of dollars. Chime has been unwilling to help me, the people I speak to on the phone are incompetent, they do not care about your feelings and make you feel stupid, as if they know more than you and are unwilling to share. They have failed to show that they are willing to fix this issue, and I have spent hours trying to get this resolved and to get MY money back. I'm worried that they are no longer going to put the effort in getting my money sent to me due to them marking the check cashed without proper knowledge. They refuse to admit they sent me a fake check, and also refuse to try and initiate a direct deposit into my well-known external bank account. They make it seem like they are not going to give me this money back and are practically holding it hostage. They are illegally delaying giving me my funds, have not met their promised deadlines, and are unwilling to help me get my funds to me.