Consumer complaint received 2024-01-12
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Non-sufficient funds and associated fees
Company: GOLDEN 1 CREDIT UNION, THE (WA)

I had an account with golden one for many years during the time I lived in California. 

XXXX started drawing monthly payments from the checking account without my knowledge after many months of no activity in the account. 

This caused the account to go negative however I was unaware that this had happened. 

I received a letter in the mail on on XX/XX/XXXX informing me that my account had been overdraw for over 45 days and was closed and reported to XXXX XXXX 

The following morning I called them immediately and asked first what was needed from me, second where the funds were drawn from and third why I was just not being informed when they had my phone number, my e-mail, and my address. 

They said they needed the money paid and that it was reported to XXXX XXXX  and they could not affect it anymore until the money was paid. 

In response to the other questions they said they had advised me via mail, when I informed them I was not advised as I did not ever receive any mail with any advisement to them they claims well, then you would have to take that up with usps and tried to claim that since I had gotten one letter although i received it over 30 days late in my mail box, that therefore the mail service was working and I was indeed advised of the situation. 

This I found quite curous as they were trying to claim a letter I did not receive was an advisement that took place. Dropping that matter for now I continued to dig in a similar statement to the following. 

" Well, you had my e-mail and phone number, why did you not first attempt to call or e-mail me. Additionally why was there no delivery confirmation, tracking number, or signature requested on this supposed advisement from you. '' The representatives response was that they could not be bothered. 

I find it shockingly damaging and predatory to close someones account and send reports to a consumer reporting agency without " being bothered '' to call the members known phone number, nor e-mail them, nor indeed even verify they have received your supposed advisements via putting tracking or delivery confirmation or requiring a signature for delivery of those supposed advisements. 

They took a damaging act and attacked my consumer report because they simply could not be bothered to use any of the several up to date confirmed communication paths that were open to them. Additionally they initially refused to give me the number to chex systems stating that I could simply " XXXX it. '' After calling XXXX and finding out why they attempted to draw funds without my knowledge and fixing that issue, as well as immediately going to my current bank and wiring the negative balance to the account I additionally asked how i can protect my consumer report and they said there was nothing they could do and it was " int the queue to clear ''. I pried the number for XXXX XXXX out of them and was advised it may take 7 days for things to show. 

After 7 days I contacted XXXX XXXX to contest and press the issue. Unfortunately they claimed they would need my full first and last name, social security number, date and place of birth, as well as the past 5 years of living addresses in-order to proceed. 

I asked whether they were a government agency and they said no they were not. I said there is no way your getting all that information out of me and they said " ok ... ''. 

So... now I turn to you cfpb. This should be criminal behavior. They had my number, they had my e-mail, they had my address. They chose instead of reaching out to me via my number, or e-mailing me, or sending me confirmed mail or signature verified mail they chose to send unverified snail mail that I did not received. When i was notified I was helpless to affect anything although none of it is fault of my own and now I may have irreparable consumer report damage that can not be undone without giving a less than trustworthy non govenment entity far far too much data about me than I am comfortable. This I also feel ought to be illegal if it is not already. 

I have since closed my account and now file this in hopes you will further pressure tham. I have advised everyone I know of the situation and that they should not trust golden 1 and am unsure of what further action I can take aside from watching my credit score and contesting any fallout from this. 

It should not be legal for a company to take aggressive action against a customer without first attempting all reasonable and available means of contacting that customer and notifying or settling any disputes in a more reasonable matter. This is predatory and evil behavior from a bad actor that " could not be bothered '' to use reasonable means at their disposal to actually advise or notify the individual. They found it easier to launch an aggressive attack on that persons identity. I think they " could be bothered '' and should be held fully accountable for their horrible actions which label them in this engagement as a wanton bad actor of our financial system.