Consumer complaint received 2023-11-06
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION (MI)

I received an offer in the mail to open a new checking account and earn a {$450.00} bonus if {$3000.00} in direct deposit was received within 90 days. I came into the bank and met with a representative. I asked the Fifth Third personal banker, XXXX XXXX, to see if deposits from my XXXX account would qualify because I did not have any direct deposits to assign that would qualify. She said she would check on this. 

XXXX informed me that this type of deposit would qualify, so I opened a checking account. I made a couple of errors in attempting to fund this account and XXXX corrected them for me. She informed me that I was still eligible for the {$450.00} bonus and should see it before my XXXX, or on my XXXX statement. I continued to fund this account with similar deposits and complete my qualifying. 

On Wednesday, XXXX XXXX, XXXX called me at XXXX XXXX as a follow-up to my becoming a banking customer, and again mentioned that I should be have received or soon be receiving my bonus. I mentioned that I had just received a statement recently, but had not looked at it. I ended the call and checked my statement. no bonus had been received. 

I called back at XXXXXXXX XXXX  and my call was answered by XXXX XXXX, Assistant Branch manager. I asked about my bonus and she said that my deposits did not qualify. I told her that I had relied upon XXXX 's information and that i felt the bank should honor the deposits as qualifying. We spoke for 17 minutes. She refused. I set an appointment to see her on Friday. 

I contacted corporate headquarters and was told by Supervisor, XXXX ( ID # XXXX ) that the manager had the authority to make a waiver and allow the bonus to be paid. XXXX refused to answer my question, " What responsibility does the bank have to honor promises made to me by my personal banker? '' I also asked if I could be provided with the records which showed instances when my account was accessed by bank personnel. She said, " We do not provide these records to customers. '' I informed her that these records should be retained for a possible legal action. 

When I met with XXXX XXXX on Friday, she presented printouts that documented several different calls made to me by XXXX. She admitted that XXXX had initiated transactions to correct my depositing errors. She adamantly refused to honor XXXX XXXX 's statement to me that my deposits would qualify me for the bonus and refused to allow a waiver. She was unmoved by my argument that there was no reason to continue funding the account if there was no expectation of receiving the bonus. 

The printouts XXXX XXXX provided did not fully report all the contacts made by XXXX. XXXX XXXX also prevented me from speaking with XXXX about my initial contacts and her statement made prior to my opening the account. 

I believe that the mail offer became a " bait and switch ''. I made it clear that i came to the bank to avail myself of an offer they sent to me and that I had no intent to use this checking account, I declined the offer to print checks and also declined to receive a debit card for the account. I indicated that I intended to keep using my existing checking account with another bank in my very first meeting. I'm here for the offer.