Consumer complaint received 2017-03-19
Product: Bank account or service — Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management — 
Company: BBVA FINANCIAL CORPORATION (AZ)

BBVA Compass Bank has defrauded me for {$510.00}. 

In XXXX I signed up for a checking account at what was then called Compass Bank. The terms of the account included the provision that it would be free for the life of the account. There would be no monthly service fees, ever. 

Early in XXXX, the bank ( now known as BBVA Compass ) begin charging a monthly service fee of {$10.00}. They had no justification for doing this and no authorization or agreement from me. 

At that time, the account balance was {$79.00}. From that point until the end of XXXX, XXXX deposits were made into the account, totaling {$180.00}, for a total of {$260.00} of my money. 

However, unbeknown to me, BBVA Compass was continuing to charge {$10.00} per month, until it consumed all the funds, at which point the bank began to impose penalties. 

Now they have not only seized, fraudulently, my {$260.00}, they also say I owe them an additional {$240.00}. They have turned this so-called debt over to the collection agency, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

This is fraudulent. The small sums coming into the account were from affiliate sales commissions I earned. I looked on them as a nest egg for a rainy day. I had every reason to believe that I could safely ignore correspondence from the bank, which I felt was likely to be sales-related. I had no reason to think anything was wrong until I received a collection letter from XXXX XXXX. 

I have spoken with a teller, XXXX XXXX, at my local bank branch. It was she who prepared the worksheet showing how much money would have been in the account had no service fees been charged. I asked that my money be given to me, that all fees be reversed, and that the account be closed in good standing. 

I met with XXXX XXXX on Wednesday, XXXX XXXX, XXXX, when she prepared the worksheet and said she would take the information to her branch manager, XXXX XXXX XXXX, for further action. She said XXXX XXXX would contact me. 

When I had n't heard from XXXX XXXX by Tuesday, XXXX XXXX, I phoned and left a message on her direct line. She still had n't called back the following day, when I called again and finally got through to speak with her. 

XXXX XXXX informed me that she had no authority to reverse the fees and that it had taken two weeks to get back to me because she had been looking into it. She 's the branch manager. It 's difficult to understand how it could have taken two weeks to determine that she lacked any authority in this matter. In fact it 's difficult to understand how she could lack the authority. 

XXXX XXXX said that, since she lacked the authority, she would escalate the case to the bank 's Customer Care office and that I 'd be hearing from an officer in that group. When I asked when, she said within five to seven business days. I said that considering the excessive delays so far, that was n't fast enough. I set a deadline of Friday, XXXX XXXX. She noted this, repeating the date back to me. 

As of Sunday, XXXX XXXX, I have still not heard from the Customer Care office or from anyone else at BBVA Compass Bank.