Consumer complaint received 2023-03-19
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem caused by your funds being low — Overdrafts and overdraft fees
Company: JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. (CA)

My issue with chase bank began in XXXX  XXXX when XXXX XXXX XXXX  charged my debit card about XXXX. I did not rent a car in XXXX  from XXXX  they perhaps had my card on file from a previous interaction where my fianc had warranty work done on his vehicle and I gave XXXX  my ID and debit card to make a copy because it was possible that I would be driving the rental car provided by XXXX XXXX XXXX, during the time his car was being fixed all that being said, I called XXXX and Chase when I saw that charge in XXXX  and said that there has been an error because I should not have any charges from XXXX  whatsoever. The rental car company said they didnt charge me and that it was my banks mistake. They verified twice that on their end they had not charged me. Not knowing if this was true or really what to do about the whole situation I called Chase and let them know that there has been a fraudulent or wrong charge on my account. I gave them the details of the company and said I was willing to get whatever information or documents that they may need from me or from them or Id be willing to go in there and talk with them again for the third time whatever I needed to do he said OK we will call you and let you know, if we need anything else but it should be fine and they immediately same day credited me back to XXXX. A few months later my account with Chase was very low. I had some personal things happen with my mom unexpectedly getting sick and being in the hospital during the month of XXXX. I advocated for her to come home to my parents house and have nurse care which they did approve but the insurance only covered so much so I became her primary care. It has been a lot of changes and so I have been unable to work as much as I used to. Its been very tough for me financially but my first priority, of course is my mom is getting her hopefully healthy. I have always been good to make sure that I have enough in my account to cover my basic bills with a tiny cushion. Previously, I have worked in XXXX  for almost 20 years and spent many of those years doing XXXX XXXX. I worked for a big company, and unfortunately got laid off due to Covid. I had a severance pay for a while, but I have had trouble finding a job so I have been just doing part time XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX part time to get by but with my mom being sick and me taking care of her I simply do not have the time however I know how much money I have in my account to the penny pretty much all the time. So when Chase took out the XXXX it caused me to overdraft my account. I was unaware that this had happened at first so when I made transfers from another account to my Chase account to pay for my credit card bill or other things, I didnt know I was already in the red, I thought I was even within an XXXX cushion or so. I incurred a bunch of XXXX  fees. This created a snowball effect and when I called them and asked why they had charge me for that the amount that XXXX  took out they said they had closed the case because I never called them and gave them more information but when I told them that they had not contacted me, they said as a courtesy, they would refund me three of the eight XXXX fees. I was grateful for that because I felt that I shouldve been monitoring my account more diligently, and  I had to suffer the consequences. Although I was pretty upset that they didnt follow through with any kind of investigation about the XXXX charge from XXXX  I figured I would call and speak to somebody else at Chase who could help me further or maybe I will try giving XXXX  another call to get to XXXX sorted out. Also., At that time chase told me that I can turn off the overdraft protection so my account would not go past zero, and get into the negative. So this is what I did moving forward I took off the overdraft protection, and my understanding was whatever payments or whatever card transactions going through would not be paid I made a plan to settle up with my credit cards and other bills at the end of XXXX  when I hopefully had a little bit more money to talk with the electricity company and so forth, but again my account was overdrawn because an automatic payment for my credit card went through and made me negative so several days I was negative unknowingly during this time I was taking care of my mom and my little boy had to go to the hospital as well. I was extremely busy, but I didnt even think  that anything was wrong with my Chase account because I had turned off the protection and so if anything went through it would be zero I even tested it out at a store and my card was declined and so I thought OK good Im at zero or maybe a few dollars but its OK Im not getting charged the XXXX every day  when I saw my account was overdrawn now a couple hundred dollars I added up the fees which were XXXX. I had my account overdrawn XXXX. To me this didnt make sense because if they had not charge me all those fees, I actually would have money in my account because I get a direct deposit from a job every Thursday night for XXXX It is not much, but it is enough to cover my basic bills  when I called on Thursday, XXXX XXXX XXXX  the representative from Chase bank said that they could not help me with any of the fees or the fact that they took out the XXXX from XXXX  mistake.  The reason that was stated was that Chase Bank had tried to call me to ask for more information, and I never got back to them I asked the gentleman to tell me which days Chase had tried to call me and leave a message and/or I didnt answer. He told me the dates and I checked my call records. I have no messages no calls no text nor no emails from Chase on those dates or any dates since this whole incident first began in XXXX. I was really upset that they had closed the case and told me that since they closed the case I cant re-open it. Its a done deal and pretty much suck it up. It was disconcerting to me because I always thought that banks will have your back if someone commits fraud against you after all isnt that money insured and this was not some dispute with me and the merchant over a service or an item - it was a merchant that charged me some  thing in the wrong for completely no reason I have not even been there. I am not saying that Chase lied to me about trying to call me but I know that because of the situation my mom has been in. I answer every phone call because it is about doctors and medication and a lot of important things for my mamas life , so I dont miss any calls it just wouldnt happen especially more than once there was no messages nothing. Anyway, so I thought the matter was settled never expected them to take it back out of my account not only that but XXXX  also charge me a XXXX fee I saw in months before  I told Chase about that and even wondered if we could do it as a separate issue but they said no they could not the case was closed so now my account is overdrawn basically from fees and from money that was wrongfully taken out of it, I believe it is XXXX   plus the XXXX  fraud charge XXXX add up to about XXXX. Im not sure if it  matters  to say that I am struggling already financially but it is ironic that my electricity bill is about XXXX and I cant pay it this month, and that is the same amount that Chase has cost me. And it gets worse- Thursday , when I mentioned to the representative that I would perhaps be seeking to write to the consumer financial protection bureau, because as he had stated, they were out of any options to help me, I think something happened 
On their end because a couple hours later I got a call from a woman from Chase  when she called it said JP Morgan, Chase and she was very very nice and she asked me about things that were going on in my life and with my bank situation and I thought she was a very wonderful person. She told me that shes would find me a fee reversal, or us a free credit. of XXXX. That would have brought me back to only being XXXX and since my direct deposit was going through on Friday morning of XXXX I would be back in the green. We spoke for a while and I just want to say she was really nice and very helpful and seemed concerned in caring but I didnt receive and have not received that fee credit like I thought I was going to so what happened was  my direct deposit of XXXX did go through but I was still XXXX and so I was charged XXXX for Thursday, Friday and I am sure I will incur one tonight as well. The XXXX never has posted to my account its been two full days. To me it was implied that it would be immediate because we even spoke about it how when my direct deposit hopefully goes in mint on midnight that night with the XXXX  I would be in in the plus side. I dont know what happened or why all I know is that my account is still negative the XXXX  dollars of my direct deposit it is unusable and still XXXX plus the three XXXX fees so I think the total of chase fees and everything else plus a XXXX fee  because my account was negative from their fees XXXX. I am so nervous and scared that I will never get caught up because I really am living dollar to dollar. Its been very hard but I have always been in good standing with my banks and as a person who used to be able to work in a XXXX  XXXX, it causes me so much anxiety that my bank account is negative. I have heard of many other people, family and friends having issues with Chase and now Im feeling the pain of it all to you. I just dont understand why they would not call me in the first place about the XXXX  and take out the XXXX to charge me those fees and then  not offer any help when I needed it and not have any answers for me not even who or when or any questions or go on answered its all oh thats not my department and the whole run around it takes so much time to get nowhere and then to have someone called me the day before yesterday and be so kind and sweet and probably, I think they were hoping to stop me from making a complaint against them to this bureau and make me promises of making my account all good and not to follow through and to add up all the money and no its at least XXXX is so diss concerning and so wrong. I honestly dont know what to do but there has to be a better way to go about things. My apologies for the very long explanation but I just want to make sure I provide all the details of this whole thing. I am still trying to wrap my head around it and Im very confused and Im very much in a dire situation and I hope that anything can be done to help out  a little bit please let me know if you have any further questions or need any more information. I thank you for your time and help with this manner. Kind regards.