Consumer complaint received 2024-04-09
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Managing an account — Problem making or receiving payments
Company: Chime Financial Inc (MO)

On or about XX/XX/2024 I was informed by my landlord that a check that I submitted on XX/XX/2024 to be sent to him for my rent was not received. The amount was {$270.00}. In the records on my account it shows that the check was mailed, as it is every month. Normally, I do not get a notification of when it is received however I do get a notification when it is cashed, and the status of the check in my records shows as being cashed as well. For the check in question, I did not receive a notification, it still shows as being mailed, and my landlord still has not received it. The normal assumption would be that it was lost in the mail. The institution can see that it was never cashed and they can basically cancel it and either reissue or put the funds back into my account. I made the initial contact with Chime on or about XX/XX/2024. I explained the situation and the customer service representative looked into it but informed me they could not cancel it from their end and that they would escalate to another department who would then contact me via email once they looked into it. I did not receive or hear anything from Chime after that. I made a second phone call to Chime Customer Service a few days later which resulted in pretty much the same result, that they would escalate the issue to another department and that I would hear from them. Again, I never received any email or contact from Chime. A third phone call was made approximately a week later, but this time the customer service rep assured me that he could cancel the check and the funds would be placed back into my account within XXXX to XXXX business days. I found that odd as it was completely different from what anyone else said they could do. However, I waited and of course no funds were placed back into my account. On or about XX/XX/2024 I made my fourth phone call to Chime regarding the situation ( remember, I have not received any response to any of my inquiries ). The representative I spoke to said once again that after looking into my account he needed to escalate the situation to another department. He made a comment that it had been escalated to the wrong department prior, and that it may have been ultimately an error by Chime itself, possibly meaning that the check never actually was sent. He did send me an email regarding our conversation and that I would receive a follow-up from that escalation department within XXXX to XXXX hours. 

It is currently XX/XX/2024 and once again I received no contact of any kind from Chime regarding my situation. I feel that contacting the institution again would be fruitless since the only live people you can talk to someone who can not do anything as previously shown. I am beginning the process of arbitration which frankly I shouldn't have to do, and am also pursuing any and all justifiable complaint avenues and possibly legal action. 

I have found this whole incident extremely frustrating, unprofessional, but most of all unnecessary. If I were to speak to any other bank in the world the situation would and could be remedied quickly and easily. It appears upon further examination that this institution has been fined large amounts for exactly this situation. It is unfathomable to me that a company can do business in this manner.