Consumer complaint received 2023-07-17
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem accessing account
Company: PNC Bank N.A. (VA)

Hello, I have this feeling that PNC and possibly other banks are exploiting their customers who are XXXX  hoping that if a certain % or customers can't return XXXX XXXX XXXX to deal with accessing their in person, that's an opportunity for PNC to loot.

I am a PNC customer for decades. My home base is in the XXXX XXXX  area. I started as a customer of XXXX XXXX, which was merged/acquired by PNC. I am currently in XXXX, XXXX working remotely. I have been in XXXX for about 2 years. 

Weeks ago, I attempted to deposit an image of a refund check from the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX using the PNC App. This is a simple transaction that used to work for me before. This time, it was failing with no valid error message. It must be a new version of the app that was buggy. 

I contacted PNC support using the PNC online system via chat. The PNC customer support person ( I don't remember his name and I can't get his name because I am locked out of my PNC online account ) made a suggestion to reinstall the PNC app on my mobile. I did so but the app kept asking for MFA code which PNC was not sending or took their time to send. After a few tries, the PNC App said the service is no longer available.

Then I tried to login to my PNC account online to contact customer service via chat again. My PNC online access, like my phone PNC app, requires MFA codes. I received the MFA code via my phone and proceeded to login. That's when I was presented with a screen that said my account was suspended and to call an XXXX number that I can't call because these numbers don't work from XXXX XXXX XXXX 

When I received a PNC survey link in my email box, I filled it out and requested follow up call. I got the follow up call from a lady who asked a few questions. I explained my situation to her. After the call ended, I got no follow up from PNC. 

So now I have no way to contact PNC customer support using the app or online messaging or chat. PNC does not do email support. 

I went to the bank 's PNC XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX  and left a message. I was asked for some basic contact info and told someone from the " escalation '' team will contact me in a couple of days. I did get a call from their escalation team. the lady asked for ID verification. Everything checked. Then she put me on hold. The connection dropped. No one called back. 

I reached out to XXXX XXXX multiple time after that over days. I was basically ignored. No one called. No access to my account online or via bank app. PNC Bank ghosted me and now I am stuck in XXXX. XXXX borrowing money from friends. 

This feels like a scam. So now I have to pay over {$2000.00} in travel and related expenses to go XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to resolve this issue in person and back. 

I am not the only one who is experiencing this. A number of friends who are digital nomads working from other countries remotely, something that has grown popular since COVID-19. They too reported an increase in bank account access problems where they were locked out and had to travel back to deal with the issue, even though they were able to validate their IDs using MFA, mobile, email and via government IDs, but their banks refused them access under the guise of protecting their account.

Please help me access my account and investigate this alarming practice. If PNC Bank is doing this to me in such a blatant manner, they must have done it to others who are XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Thank you, XXXX XXXX